HHS Secretary Becerra, NYC DOE Chancellor Porter, and NYC First Lady McCray Visit Us in Corona
On May 25, we had the honor of showing U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, New York City Department of Education Chancellor Meisha Porter, and NYC First Lady Chirlane McCray and her son, Dante, the important work we do at The Child Center.
They toured our Early Childhood Corona center, which includes Early Head Start and Head Start/EarlyLearn programs. We were grateful for the opportunity for them to see our programs in action, and for us to learn more about their commitment to early childhood education and wraparound care, a cornerstone of Child Center programs.
Secretary Becerra really took the time to speak with our staff, children, and parents. He noted that the children “feel safe” and “feel loved.” Child Center programs like these take care of our communities’ kids and provide valuable services and resources beyond early childhood education, such as mental health counseling, food distribution, and emergency cash assistance programs.
Chancellor Porter thanked the Child Center team for “creating a lovely place,” and she remarked about the confidence that the children displayed when they greeted her.
First Lady McCray, who has made mental wellness a priority, came away impressed that the program provides access to an Early Childhood Mental Health Network satellite clinic and pediatric primary care through Strong Children Wellness.
The highlight of our day was when some of our parents spoke from the heart about what The Child Center means to them. They’re why we do this work, and it showed Secretary Becerra that President Biden’s planned investment in early childhood education through the American Families Plan is well placed.
Head to our Facebook album for more pictures of the day.
