Welcome to The Gathering Place: A Children’s Learning Center for All.

While we are owned and operated by Bozeman United Methodist Church, we are a non-religious, non-profit organization that aims to provide a safe and welcoming environment for families and children. We are an early learning center serving children 6 weeks to 5 years. We are a play-based program and approach our clients holistically by acting as a hub of resources. While we provide childcare, we also partner with community resources and allies to give our families whatever it is they need to be successful. We firmly believe that families are our children's first teacher and we strive to honor that and support them in that responsibility however and whenever possible. As a center, our teaching philosophy is progressive. We believe that we are constantly learning through our experiences. In our program, children are given the autonomy to choose activities based on their current interests. These interests direct our curriculum and how it is implemented amongst age groups. We believe that children learn best through play in a safe and nurturing environment. The play-based preschool philosophy is designed to enrich the whole child, including social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and creative development. We also include emergent learning which ties into their play through a curriculum that is closely connected to their interests and follows the Montana Early Learning Standards (MELS). It is a term used to describe a flexible pedagogical approach that relies on the children's interests and the circumstances of the day to dictate the learning content. We are a STARS and CACFP Provider.

NOW ENROLLING… Infants, Waddlers, Toddlers & Preschool Ages

We accept private pay & Best Beginnings scholarships. We are expanding our care options to provide full-time, and part-time. See details on enrollment below.