Determined to make an impression and extend Helene’s life’s work, HMESF wanted
to align with organizations and centers that catered to the education of
children 0 to age 3. With the help of Dana Friedman, of the Early Institute,
and Nancy Kolben, of Childcare INC, both of whom are top authorities on
childhood education and development, a set of criteria was developed to guide
the selection process in determining what organizations in the New York area
best serve this young community. The HMESF Strategic Planning Committee went on
many site visits, meeting with directors of childcare facilities, before
deciding who would best be served by HMESF donations.
We decided to
donate to eight centers, ranging from early childhood centers in Manhattan to
childcare centers in shelters catering to domestic violence and homeless parents
and children. The eight centers vary in focus, but have impactful programs
serving those 0-3 year olds. Below there is information on each of the
centers.
They were so excited to have the libraries delivered. After our
initial donation, our group revisited the centers to see how the library
initiative was received. The directors, teachers, and children were thrilled to
have new books. Some of the children in these centers never had the opportunity
to have books at their disposal, or even to have the experience of having
someone read to them. I know this response is something my mother would feel
really good about. She would have loved to seen the smiling children and
excited providers when they received the libraries.
Below is a list of
the centers in Manhattan, along with their descriptions.
Tops For You:The Mothers' Nursery Room at T.O.P.S. For You, Inc. is a not-for-profit, community based resource center, licensed by the NYC Department of Health, Bureau of Day Care that provides quality childcare for mothers who are working and/or studying. In two nurseries, they care for 20 infants, newborn to 24 months, each day, serving the neighborhood of Bushwich, Brooklyn. The Mothers' Nursery Room was created 25 years ago with the mission of serving the community "to relieve the pressures and fears that stand between problems and solutions". In addition to the nursery services, the organization provides a unique opportunity for women by offering them training and preparation to become licensed family day care providers.
Kennedy Child Study Center:The Kennedy Child Study Center is a nonprofit agency dedicated to assisting very young children who are undergoing significant difficulties in learning and other areas of early childhood development. It provides a coordinated system of evaluation and diagnosis, multi-faced therapy, specialized preschool education and partnership with families. Direct services and supports are available to parents and other caregivers as they seek to provide a rich family life in which these children can thrive. The Center also offers comprehensive evaluations and service coordination for older children to help them acquire the appropriate special education and other services in their communities.
For more information go to: www.kenchild.com
Union Settlement:Since 1895, Union Settlement Association has been dedicated to solving urban problems in East Harlem. Through education programs and human services, the agency promotes leadership development and fosters economic self-sufficiency to help individuals and families build a stronger community. Operating from 17 locations, Union Settlement annually serves more than 13,000 people of all ages with effective programs in education, childcare, counseling, senior services, nutrition, the arts, job training and economic development. The association is a large local employer with a staff of 800 people and its childcare program provides one-sixth of all childcare services in East Harlem. Union Settlement states, "We serve 500 children and their families in six childcare and Head Start centers and 100 school-age children in after-school programs at two sites alone."
For more information go to: www.unionsettlement.org
Women in NeedWomen In Need’s mission is to provide housing, help and hope to New York City women and their families who are homeless and disadvantaged. WIN’s unique, comprehensive services are citywide, with sites in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. They include transitional family shelters and permanent supportive housing; licensed alcohol and substance abuse treatment clinics; job readiness preparation and placement assistance; children’s services; domestic violence assessments and counseling; HIV prevention education; and aftercare and alumnae programs to support the continued success of formerly homeless families. Our Children’s Services are programmed to meet the developmental needs of children exposed to the trauma and instability of homelessness, poverty, violence and substance abuse.
Since opening the first shelter for 10 women in 1983, WIN has grown into a citywide agency that now serves over 9,500 homeless and disadvantaged women and children each year. Every night, WIN provides shelter for over 2,400 people, including more than 1,400 children. With 596 shelter units, WIN is now among the largest providers of homeless services for families in New York City. WIN helps thousands of these families move out of poverty, achieve dignity and rebuild their lives.
For more information go to: www.women-in-need.org
HELP Morris Early Childhood ProgramHELP Morris Avenue, run by HELP USA, is one of the nation's largest providers of housing, job training, and social services for the homeless and victims of domestic violence. Help Morris Avenue alone provides housing to over 200 families and 80% of those are single mothers. Mike Ruiz is the Executive Director of the Bronx facilities while Ruth Freeman is the director of HELP Morris Early Childhood Program, licensed by the Department of Health. The day care facility contains four classrooms serving both the children of the families housed at the site and an additional 20 children from the Bronx community. The classroom structure is as follows: 16 children ranging from birth to one year approximately, 24 toddlers, 17 three year olds, 23-25 four year olds, and there are three childcare providers in each classroom. The children are in the childcare center five days a week.
For more information go to: www.helpusa.org
Safe Horizon - Lily HouseLily House is a transitional shelter program that provides temporary housing to survivors of domestic violence and their families from NYC. Lily House provides comprehensive services in order to assist clients achieve independence. These programs range from safety planning, legal advocacy, financial literacy and job readiness to after-school activities for children. In order to strengthen our children’s program we would like to implement an early reading program for our youngest residents. Currently, we have 51 children in our program out of which 24 children are under the age of three. As research has shown, reading to young children promotes language acquisition and correlates with literacy development and, later on, with achievement in reading comprehension and overall success in school.[1] We would like to give our residents an opportunity to have an early good start.
[1] U.S. Department of Education-National Center for Education Statistics, U.S.
For more information go to: www.safehorizon.org
Riverside Montessori SchoolRiverside Montessori School has been serving the preschool and nursery educational needs of Manhattan families since 1997. Riverside Montessori is a member of the New York State Association of Independent Schools, the Parents League, as well as being an affiliate school of Columbia University. Riverside Montessori invites children to develop a love of learning because they are nurtured, valued, and respected. Children are in a natural environment where they are free to learn independently at their own pace. Parents are at ease knowing that their children are cared for in an encouraging learning atmosphere—one that is supportive of intellectual, social, emotional, and physical growth.
Riverside Montessori has 10 rooms and can accommodate up to 138 children; six of the rooms serve children ages 0-3 and four of them serve children aged 3-5. Children enroll for a minimum of one school year however, on average most children stay at the school for at least five years. Each room has at least 1 Montessori certified and 1 New York State certified teacher, and most rooms have a total of three teachers at all times.
For more information go to: www.twinparks.org
Little Star of BroomeLittle Star of Broome Street is a daycare program affiliated with the Chinese-American Planning Council and funded in part by New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) and the National Association of the Education of Young Children. The facility is located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and is surrounded by public housing, where many of the children reside attending Little Star reside. Parents must apply through the ACS and meet certain income requirements (i.e. below poverty level) in order for their children to be eligible to attend Little Star.
The focus at Little Star of Broome is providing a curriculum and activities that are developmentally appropriate to pre-kindergarten students, aged 2 to 6. The curriculum is designed to address each stages of a child’s social-emotional, linguistic, physical, and cognitive development. The program’s mission is to provide quality childcare for children between the ages of 2-6 years of age. There are 4 classrooms of 10-15 children each, with a total of 62 children presently enrolled organized by age (2 year olds, younger 3’s, older 3’s, and 4’s). Graduates of Little Star feed into the New York City public school system’s kindergarten program.
For more information go to: www.cpc.org