Executive Director's comments

    In November we received word from the Department of Education Child Development Division, that we are being funded to open a new childcare site. This is good news for working parents from low-income families, and a challenge for us to get it ready, hire teachers and enroll children.
    We are completing the lease details for the site in the Northpointe community in north Long Beach, near Paramount and Candlewood.
    Our Northpointe Center will be a full-day, subsidized childcare facility. Adding these 56 children will bring our total licensed capacity to 663. With the sliding-fee schedule, most of our families pay $40 or less for a full week of quality childcare. Finding affordable, quality childcare is often the deciding factor that makes going to work financially feasible for many parents.
    We have applied for our childcare license and will soon order the equipment and materials needed to create a stimulating and comforting environment. This seventh site should open this spring, and serve 32 preschoolers, 12 toddlers and 12 infants as young as six months old.
    Running an organization this size is an opportunity, and a challenge, especially in the current economy. I am grateful to the staff, volunteers, donors, and board members who help keep us going and growing. Without their support we would likely not be able to serve as many needy families as we do.
    We have a tireless team that rises to the occasion and keeps us headed the right direction. About 50 percent of our employees have been with us for five years or longer. That says a lot about our employees, and about Young Horizons. I am happy to be associated with so many dedicated people, and look forward to another exciting year of service.