Sponsor a Child at risk today and make a difference in the health and productivity of our community tomorrow. For more information on how you can make an impact on the lives of families like Judith and Rodrigo Nicolas, (read their story at right), please contact Sandra Hagan, Executive Director, or click here to donate online. We thank you for your caring support.
www.childcenterny.org
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A Single Mom Finds a New Start at The Ficalora Family Foundation Head Start Center at The Child Center
"Judith (above with son Rodrigo), has become an incredible advocate for the community," says Child Center Director of Early Childhood Services, Linda Rodriguez. Judith believes: ' I've done it, now you can do it.'"
When Judith brought her son, Rodrigo, to The Child Center of NY over two years ago, she was feeling isolation of many kinds. A single mom, Judith's 2 1/2 year-old son had speech and developmental delays, and she could not find a place where he could be cared for in the ways he needed while she worked long hours at Dunkin Donuts. Her language obstacles made her ashamed to ask questions, and she knew no other parents in similar situations.
Then she found The Child Center, where family workers and therapists helped her clearly identify Rodrigo's educational and emotional needs and linked him to services, including help for his delayed speech at a special neighborhood school.
Intervention through The Child Center's Head Start program gave Judith a way not only for her son to succeed and the tools for her to become a better parent, but a path to create a community for them both. She soon became part of Head Start's Policy Council, first as a member and then as a parent advocacy chair. The Parent Policy Council shares governance of the program with staff and assists, among other ways, in assessing the changing needs of the community.
Judith also received help at The Child Center in working toward some of her own life goals. She has overcome her language barrier...studying English and working towards her GED, which she has just completed, earning an above average score. She is looking to college as a next step. Rodrigo is now a five-year-old kindergartener who loves school and is already reading and writing.
"The Child Center gave us the opportunity to grow as a family," says Judith. "It showed me that if you have dreams, you can live those dreams. You want to be a good parent but you don't always have the tools to do it. The Child Center has shown me how to be a better parent and a better person."
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Donors Alice and Joe Ficalora
A New Name for Head Start at The Child Center: The Ficalora Family Foundation Head Start Center at The Child Center
What's in a name? The name Ficalora will make a world of difference to children and parents like Judith and Rodrigo Nicolas (see their story above). A longtime Child Center philanthropist and community supporter, Mr. Ficalora, Chairman, President and CEO of NY Community Bancorp made a commitment of $200,000 to refurbish and expand our early childhood services, fulfilled through grants from the Ficalora Family Foundation, the Roslyn Savings Foundation and the Richmond County Savings Foundation, which are owned and operated by NY Community Bancorp.
Linda Rodriguez, Director of Early Childhood Services, is excited that the Ficalora funding will bring center-based expansion to Head Start, as well as the Pre-Kindergarten programs The Child Center also offers. It will allow for the purchase of much needed new equipment to update the classrooms and expand desperately needed child care services in the community.
Joe Ficalora is a son of Queens, so his gift is one that makes perfect sense. His foundation is specifically committed to supporting children at risk in Woodside, Jackson Heights and Corona. We thank him for his commitment and generosity.
Mr. Ficalora has been President and CEO of New York Community Bancorp since its beginnings in 1993. He is on the board of many philanthropies that directly benefit the residents of Queens. In 2004 he was the recipient of The Child Center's Sonia Strumpf Humanitarian Award.
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Our Best Wishes!
Longtime Development and External Affairs Director, Linda Henley, has recently left The Child Center of NY after nine years of work dedicated to raising funds to aid our mission of bringing essential opportunities to kids-at-risk. We wish her the best of luck in her new endeavors.
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