Sunday Worship
Traditional: 8 am
Worship at the Water®: 8:30 am
Journey Service (Contemporary): 9:30 am
Traditional: 11 am
All services are live-streamed
GULF BREEZE
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
children's place preschool
About Our Preschool
Accreditation and Licensing
NAEYC is the nation's largest organization of early childhood educators. Early Childhood programs accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs have voluntarily undergone a comprehensive process of internal self-study, invited external professional review to verify compliance with the Criteria for High-Quality Early Childhood Programs, and been found to be in substantial compliance with the criteria.
A copy of the Criteria can be obtained from NAEYC's Academy. To obtain more information, please contact NAEYC at www.naeyc.org.
Children's Place is licensed by the Dept. of Children and Family Services. All licensing information can be found at www.dcf.state.fl.us/childcare.
2026 - 2027 Enrollment Information
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Ally Carroll
Director
acarroll@gbumc.org
Ally Carroll brings more than 25 years of experience serving young children and their families with compassion, professionalism, and deep care. She holds both an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Terra State Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from the University of Cincinnati. Her career has spanned infant, toddler, preschool, special education, and administrative leadership roles, giving her a well-rounded and child-centered perspective on early learning.
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Ally is nationally certified through the Program for Infant Toddler Caregivers (PITC) and has extensive experience supporting developmentally appropriate practice, nurturing classroom environments, and strong family partnerships. She has served as an Infant/Toddler Specialist, Preschool Teacher, Lead Teacher, Center Director-in-Training, and Special Education Support Teacher, working closely with children, families, and staff to support each child’s unique growth and needs.
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At The Children’s Place, Ally is committed to creating a loving, faith-filled environment where children are known, valued, and encouraged to grow academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. She believes early childhood education is a sacred calling—one that shapes not only young minds, but hearts as well. Ally is passionate about partnering with parents, supporting teachers, and ensuring that The Children’s Place reflects the grace, care, and mission of the church in all that it does.
Taylor Creech
Curriculum Specialist &
Lead VPK Teacher
Taylor Creech serves as Curriculum Specialist and Lead VPK Teacher at Children’s Place Preschool and Academy. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Child and Adolescent Development from California State University, Fullerton, and an Associate Degree in Elementary Teacher Education from Coastline Community College, graduating with academic honors.
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Taylor brings a strong background in early childhood education, curriculum implementation, and classroom leadership. She has extensive experience planning and teaching developmentally appropriate learning experiences using the Frog Street curriculum, while creating a classroom environment that is nurturing, inclusive, and responsive to the emotional and developmental needs of each child. She is well-versed in state licensing requirements and values clear, consistent communication with families, staff, and administration.
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With a Director’s Credential and VPK endorsement, Taylor is passionate about supporting both children and teachers through thoughtful curriculum design, collaborative leadership, and a deep commitment to quality early learning. She believes children thrive when they feel safe, loved, and encouraged to explore, ask questions, and grow at their own pace. Taylor is grateful to partner with families in nurturing each child’s curiosity, confidence, and love of learning, and she is excited to continue serving the Children’s Place community.
Mission Statement
Jesus Christ calls each of us to reach out with God’s Love, Hospitality, Hope, and Healing so that all may experience and share the Joy of belonging to Him.
Philosophy
Children's Place Preschool is an outreach ministry of Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church. We have a faith based philosophy to reach every child and family. Our philosophy is to partner with families to bring a nurturing and highly developmental education to each child. The Children's Place has an approach to early educational experiences based on theories and research within Developmental Psychology and Early Education. Our approach is based along the guidelines set by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) for developmentally appropriate practice. We plan experiences to promote cognitive, language, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual development. The teachers provide expert guidance and support for children as they explore and learn about living successfully in the world with self and others.
Values
We provide a Christian environment where children and their families feel safe and loved. We seek to provide excellent service in such a fashion as to gain trust with all who interact with us. We emphasize diversity throughout our program, and our individualized, developmental approach lends itself to meeting the unique needs of children. We are inclusive of children with special needs. We offer a weekly worship service with age appropriate stories and music.