- The new 'South City Early Learning Center' offers affordable early childhood education and care.
- There are 36 spots available for kids of six weeks to three years old.
- Watch the video to learn why this resource is important to neighbors in Southside Tallahassee.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Empowering futures on the Southside. I'm Kenya Cardonne, your Southeast Tallahassee neighborhood reporter. A brand new early learning center is helping neighbors give their children the early education and attention they need. I'm getting a closer look at what this resource means to the Southside community.
Charnel Hosty, Parent - "So I was looking for a child care center for her and it was really hard to find one.."
Charnel Hosty tells me she's always worked hard to provide for little Jayla, but having to choose between making ends meet and Jayla's development— was never part of the plan.
Hosty - "She was just at home all the time and I kind of wanted her to have a better education."
Jayla is now one of 11 kids enrolled at the new South City Early Learning Center.
Miaisha Herring, Director at South City Early Learning Center - "What teachers are experiencing when children come to kindergarten and they haven't been in an early childhood program, [is that] they're extremely delayed and it's harder for the teachers to assess them and move forward."
Director Miaisha Herring says the center gives kids from six weeks to three years old all of the social, emotional and physical skills they need to make sure that doesn't happen.
Hosty tells me she's already seeing the growth in Jayla, just two weeks in.
Hosty - "She's more social. Before, she didn't talk to strangers at all. Now, she's 'hi, bye.' She says a lot more words. She feels a lot more comfortable in social settings."
But it's not just the kids reaping the benefits.
Herring - "The 32301 area code is one of the lower income areas in Tallahassee."
Herring says the need for affordable childcare on the Southside is huge, and they plan to meet that need with the help of scholarships so that parents can focus on work.
Herring - "Even if you have income, you still may not qualify for school readiness because of the income bracket. So, we offer scholarships for those families as well. Or, if you're not working at all and you need to get back into the workforce, we offer scholarships as well."
Scholarships that can cover a year of childcare for families that need it the most.
As a recipient, Hosty says it makes all the difference.
Hosty - "It helps so much. It takes a financial burden off of us. We're just able to work and provide for her more efficiently."
To learn more about the program and how you can enroll your child, you can visit the center located at the Wesson Campus (2813 S Meridian St).
You can also call the center at (850) 488-1652 or visit their website.
In Southeast Tallahassee, Kenya Cardonne, ABC 27
