Teen Care Programs at Burncoat & South

Both Teen Care Programs continue to strive to create quality programs to share with our families and achieve success in our programs as we learn and grow together.  We have received an equipment grant for improving physical environments for our infants and toddlers at both programs. We are again this year working with volunteers from Unum and the College of Worcester Consortium to provide weekly workforce readiness and college access curriculum classes to our teen parents. We will have an end of the year conference on May 11th at Unum to celebrate their success. This year we began a new collaboration with the University of Massachusetts Extension Program to provide an educational nutrition program to meet the needs of our teen parents. Classes are held weekly for forty five minutes. Both programs received a mini grant from Worcester Family Partnership and we will be going on a field trip to the New England Aquarium during April vacation. Both programs are in the final stages of accreditation and are anxiously awaiting a site visit.

What’s New at the Great Brook Valley Center

• We have received an equipment grant from the Children’s Investment Fund for improving physical environments for infants and toddlers in our program. We selected equipment that will help improve the quality of our program by replacing equipment that has started to deteriorate from use. Much of the equipment will help stimulate the children’s development.
• We are also working on the Department Early Education and Care’s grant for Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) which addresses quality care. We want to continue to provide safe, healthy indoor and outdoor environments for all our families.
• At the Great Brook Valley Center we are involved in the Massachusetts Children at Play Initiative, funded by Department of Early Education and Care, that will provide trainings and materials on assisting children and families on developing active and healthy lifestyles.  Staff have attended workshops on I am Moving I am learning.
• We held a parent meeting on January 11, 2011 were parents had the opportunity to make a scrap book page of their child.
• We are also planning an ice cream social on June 10, 2011, that will provide parents information on Kindergarten transition.

Worcester Comprehensive Education & Care Awarded $26,000 in Grants for New Security System

Worcester, MA – - April 23, 2010 – - Worcester Comprehensive Education & Care (WCEC), is thrilled to announce that they have been awarded $26,000 in grants needed to install a security system in Worcester Comprehensive’s Great Brook Valley and Main South Childcare Centers.

Grants were awarded from the Children’s Investment Fund who gave a $20,000 grant, and Warner Fletcher, Chairman of The Stoddard Charitable Trust who graciously awarded a $6,000 grant. John Gardiner, Executive Director of Worcester Comprehensive Education & Care said; “I’m humbled by the support that we’ve received from these two great charities, and many of those in our own community.”

Mr. Gardiner went on to say; “In past years, we’ve been able to count on grants from the Massachusetts Dept. of Education. However, due to the state’s budget crisis, we’ve had to do more to raise private funds to maintain the high quality programs we provide.” Due to the state’s financial crisis, funding has been cut by over $80,000 from 2009 to 2010. Additionally, another $20,000 in United Way funding was lost due to their own lower revenues as a result of the economy. “The children we serve would not have these opportunities without Worcester Comprehensive Education & Care;” John said.

The security of the children involved in WCES’ programs is one of the organization’s highest priorities. Grants from the Stoddard Charitable Trust and the Children’s Investment Fund will allow WCES to complete the installation of a much needed security system upgrade. This added layer of security will be a great comfort to our children, staff and parents.