Nancy W. Darden Child Development Center
About Us
The Nancy W. Darden Child Development Center (NDCDC) is an early childhood model training facility for the Department of Human Development and Family Science at ECU.
The NDCDC is open to the public and serves all children ages 12 weeks – 5 years. We work with the Department of Social Services to support the subsidized child care reimbursement program.
The NDCDC also serves as a research and observation site for students and faculty in all East Carolina University Departments. NDCDC staff supervise undergraduate students as they use child development theory in adult-child interactions, developmental guidance strategies, and inclusive curriculum design.
The Center is open year round from 7:45 a.m. -5:30 p.m. Monday – Friday
Please contact the center Director, Tawni Mosley at connort23@ecu.edu if you are interested in scheduling a tour or have questions about the center.
- NAEYC Accredited
- Ranked 5-star center
- Serving children ages 12 weeks – 5 years
- 5 days a week 7:45am – 5:30pm
- Reggio Emilia inspired classrooms
- CACFT compliant snacks & lunches
Tuition and Fees (Effective July 1, 2025)
- Infant Classroom $525 bi-weekly
- Toddler Classroom $515 bi-weekly
- Preschool 3s Classroom $490 bi-weekly
- Preschool 4s Classroom $480 bi-weekly
No Application Fee is required.
Annual Registration fee: $150 Non-refundable.
The Registration Fee is due when a slot becomes available.
Interested in enrolling your child at the NDCDC? Download the Application.
For more information about the NDCDC, check out the Parent Handbook and Operating Procedures
NDCDC 2025-2026 Calendar
Sample Menu that includes AM Snack, Lunch and PM Snack Nutrition.
NDCDC Staff
The mission of the NDCDC is to provide early education and high quality care for young children and serve as a model training facility for students majoring in Birth through Kindergarten Education, Family and Community Services, and Child Life.
We are fully accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
The NDCDC:
- Holds a Five-star child-care license issued by the Division of Child Development of Health and Human Services
- Encourages children to become competent, independent thinkers, and problem solvers in a curriculum rich in play, social interaction, and language.
- Uses the Developmentally Appropriate Practices Guidelines established by NAEYC.
- Considers Families an essential component and encourage families to participate whenever possible.
- Has an eclectic theoretical orientation, borrowing from the developmental and educational theories of Erikson, Montessori, Piaget, Reggio-Emilia, and Vygotsky.
- Implements the Creative Curriculum to effectively plan daily routines, learning environments and assess overall development.
Research Opportunities
We welcome research and collaboration from all ECU Departments. Two observation booths that hold up to 21 participants at one time are available for research or learning purposes. Research conducted in the NDCDC must be approved by the NDCDC research committee and ECU’s Institutional Review Board. If you are interested in submitting a research proposal to the NDCDC research committee, the links for the cover application and the protocol are available below. Please call Dr. Archana Hegde, chair of the NDCDC research committee, at 328-5712 if you have questions related to conducting research in the NDCDC.
To view protocols, proposal process and application please see the NDCDC Research Packet.