High Hopes Development Center was established in 1984 by five Middle Tennessee families who recognized their children's needs were not being met in local preschools. Each of these families had a child with a special need or chronic disease and they found themselves driving to several locations weekly to receive all of the necessary therapy services. These visionaries were determined to create a place where their children could thrive, both academically and therapeutically, alongside their typically-developing peers.

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On July 18, 2014, High Hopes celebrated our 30th birthday in our first permanent home, a state-of-the-art facility at 301 High Hopes Court in Franklin. Now in our 38th year, the organization has grown to serve hundreds of families from 19 Middle Tennessee counties.

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The Preschool at High Hopes Development Center nurtures and educates children ages six weeks to Pre-Kindergarten. The Preschool provides inclusive education to children with and without special needs in a research-based, developmentally-appropriate manner, while maintaining a ratio of 60% children who are typically-developing to 40% children who have developmental delays. Inclusion allows children with special needs to learn alongside typically-developing peers, instilling the values of diversity, acceptance, and individuality. Each of our eleven classrooms is staffed with a highly-experienced and/or degreed lead teacher and a teaching assistant that support the individual needs of each child. High Hopes' preschool is licensed by the State of Tennessee and was voted #1 "Best Daycare" in The Tennessean's "Pick of Williamson County."

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The Kindergarten at High Hopes Development Center carries on the inclusive model in a research-based, developmentally appropriate manner in a state-approved setting. Our holistic educational approach uses a literacy-based curriculum, the same one used by WCS and many other school districts in the state so that the transition from Kindergarten to first grade is seamless.