SouthSide—Jefferson
SouthSide Early Childhood Center at our Jefferson location is the largest of the 2 sites with a capacity of 135 students in 14 classrooms aged 6 weeks to 5 years. 100 of these slots are reserved for students that receive or qualify for Early Head Start or state subsidy. 35 of these slots are tuition-based seats.
Early Head Start
Please call us at 314-865-0322 to inquire about our FREE Early Head Start availability and to schedule an appointment.
About Early Head Start
Early Head Start programs prepare America’s most vulnerable young children to succeed in school and in life beyond school. To achieve this, Early Head Start programs deliver services to children and families in core areas of early learning, health, and family well-being while engaging parents as partners every step of the way.
Early Head Start programs for infants, toddlers, and pregnant women. Early Head Start programs provide free learning and development services to children ages birth to 3 from low-income families. All programs welcome children with disabilities.
To find out more about Early Head Start click here.
Tuition
Please fill out this form to be put on the tuition waitlist.
At SouthSide, we have a limited number of tuition-based spots available. Families with currently enrolled children and SouthSide staff members are given priority when openings arise.
Our waitlist typically ranges from 6 months to 1.5+ years depending on the age group. Openings most often occur when children transition into the next age group. During certain times of the year, classroom movement is limited, with the majority of transitions taking place in August as our Pre-K students head to kindergarten.
Families enrolled at the full tuition rate have access to extended day programming, with hours from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM.
SouthSide—Jefferson
2101 S. Jefferson Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63104
Phone: 314-865-0322
Fax: 314-722-8846
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Carlee Caspari, Program Director
Phone: 314-865-0322
Fax: 314-722-8846
Parent Handbook
Download the 2025-2026 Parent Handbook PDF.
TOURS
Tours will be held on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 10:30 am. Please email Carlee Caspari to RSVP.
waitlist
To be added to the waitlist for infant, toddler, 2’s, or preschool tuition-paying slots, please complete the Jefferson Waitlist form. *Please note that placement is not guaranteed. Families will be contacted with confirmation as openings become available.
TUITION
Infant/Toddlers: $395/week
Two Year Olds: $329/week
Preschoolers: $229/week
*Tuition rates as of January 2026. Tuition is not adjusted until a child moves into the next age group classroom. Tuition increases happen in January of the new fiscal year.
SCHEDULE
Monday–Friday
*7:30am–5:30pm with extended day
8:30am–3:00pm
*If a family is paying full tuition, an extended day spot is included in your tuition. Families that do not pay tuition can be put on the extended day waitlist.
SouthSide at Jefferson is open year-round, with closures for the following:
Major holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving (with possible additional closure days adjacent to holidays)
Professional development afternoons (7–10 times per year, during which extended-day programming is not offered and all children must be picked up by 3:00 PM). These afternoons provide dedicated time for teaching staff to participate in training and collaboration, helping them stay current on best practices in early childhood education and fulfill required clock hours for licensing and accreditation.
Home visits (twice per year)
Parent-teacher conferences (twice per year)
Spring Break (1 week), Summer Break (first two weeks of July), Winter Break (dates vary depending on the calendar year).
Weather-related and other unforeseen closures may occasionally occur; families will be notified as soon as possible.
Please note that specific closure dates may vary each year. Refer to the annual calendar for the most up-to-date schedule.
Download our Calendar PDF.