New day care fills need in Century
- May 29, 2015
- / Mollye Barrows
- / community-dashboard
The rooms at Children of Hope sit ready with toys, tables and chairs, newly cleaned carpets and fresh paint. Six children are registered to be there when the day care opens Monday at Abundant Life, Assembly of God in Century.
The church celebrated with an open house today.
"I'm very excited! It's like a dream that has been in my heart for at least five years," said day care director Heather Smith. "It's exciting to see it come to fruition."
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Details
Children of Hope Day Care at Abundant Life Assembly of God Church, 8040 N. Century Blvd., will be open Monday to Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The weekly rates are: $120 for infants, $115 for 1-2 year olds, and $100 for 3-4 year olds, and includes lunch and snacks. The director says they are working to take vouchers for subsidized childcare.
For information, call (850) 256-5227 or visit their website.
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Children of Hope day care can take in up to 29 children, from infants to 4-year-olds. Smith hopes it will fill an important niche in the rural community, where there is only one other day care and it doesn't accept infants.
That's a problem in a community where about 40 percent of the population lives in poverty and most are single mothers heading up the household.
"The single mother is the foremost need in our area," said the Rev. Jeff Dwenger. "It will free them up to be able to work. One woman in our church has expressed a desire to work, but can't because of child care."
Staff didn't have an exact number, but say the calls and requests for applications have been "substantial."
[caption id="attachment_24219" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Child care center director Heather Smith prepares information packets for the open house for the Abundant Life Children of Hope Center in Century, Fl. Friday, May 29, 2015. (Michael Spooneybarger/ Pensacola Today)[/caption]
"Parents need somewhere for their kids to go so they can work and go to school," said Smith. "We got a call from parents of a special needs child who said they'd been looking for a place to put him for a long time and expressed what a blessing it is to have a place for their little boy."
Church members are well acquainted with the needs of impoverished families in Century. They feed about 400 families a month through their food distribution program. Dwenger says they've wanted to open an after-school program or childcare facility for years, and are excited to see the dream become a reality.
"The community has been very supportive," said Dwenger. "A local restaurant, the Sandwich Deli, is catering our food for the kids at a discounted rate. People want to help."
Children of Hope is one of the applicants in the Century Business Challenge, an opportunity for entrepreneurs to win $25,000 in cash and start up resources. The challenge is being sponsored by Quint & Rishy Studer as a way to promote job growth and industry. The winner will be announced June 25.
Smith has been attending some of the business development classes offered through the challenge, but says regardless of the outcome, they hope to see the church day care grow and expand to provide more support for single mothers and families.
"It would be very beneficial, but with or without it we're going to move forward," Smith said.
Child care center director Heather Smith prepares information packets for the open house for the Abundant Life Children of Hope Center in Century, Fl. Friday, May 29, 2015. (Michael Spooneybarger/ Pensacola Today)[/caption]
"Parents need somewhere for their kids to go so they can work and go to school," said Smith. "We got a call from parents of a special needs child who said they'd been looking for a place to put him for a long time and expressed what a blessing it is to have a place for their little boy."
Church members are well acquainted with the needs of impoverished families in Century. They feed about 400 families a month through their food distribution program. Dwenger says they've wanted to open an after-school program or childcare facility for years, and are excited to see the dream become a reality.
"The community has been very supportive," said Dwenger. "A local restaurant, the Sandwich Deli, is catering our food for the kids at a discounted rate. People want to help."
Children of Hope is one of the applicants in the Century Business Challenge, an opportunity for entrepreneurs to win $25,000 in cash and start up resources. The challenge is being sponsored by Quint & Rishy Studer as a way to promote job growth and industry. The winner will be announced June 25.
Smith has been attending some of the business development classes offered through the challenge, but says regardless of the outcome, they hope to see the church day care grow and expand to provide more support for single mothers and families.
"It would be very beneficial, but with or without it we're going to move forward," Smith said.
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