State investing $1 million for Fall River CFC Head Start renovations

The little preschoolers in the Citizens for Citizens’ Head Start program probably won’t notice the new fire suppression system, windows or paint in the building, but their parents can feel good about those safety and aesthetic updates.

CFC was recently awarded a $1 million grant from the state’s Community Economic Development Assistance Corp. It was one of four $1 million capital improvement grants awarded state-wide to child care agencies that serve children from low-income families.

The grants, awarded on behalf of the Baker-Polito administration, are to make critical facility repairs and renovations to improve the environments used by young children.

“This floor will be renovated,” said Pamela Wildnauer, CFC’s Head Start and Early Head Start director, standing on the first level of the former Aldrich School, 295 Harrison St.

The Aldrich School was an elementary school built in 1920. CFC has been using the building since the 1980s for its Head Start program.

“We really haven’t had the funding to do much over the years,” Wildnauer said.

Some 200 children attend CFC Head Start in the Aldrich School building during the school year, just about to get underway after Labor Day. A smaller program runs during the summer.

Wildnauer said the school that has “great bones, great architecture” will be updated with a new electrical system, fire suppression system, fire doors, new flooring, and replacement windows.

“The opportunity presented itself for capital improvement funding,” Wildnauer said.

She said it would allow CFC to offer its families a high quality space for education that is “safe and healthy.”

Once the major repairs — to take place next summer — are finished, Wildnauer is hoping there will be funds left to update the basement for rainy-day activities when the children can’t go outside, for a conference room, and to enclose the kitchen.

The kitchen is used to prepare more than 400 meals each day for the children in Head Start programs at the Aldrich School, as well as CFC’s Robeson Street site, and other smaller sites in the city and in Swansea.

The basement space is also used for free GED classes for parents of Head Start children. Besides class, they receive free transportation, child care and meals.

Repairs were made to the second floor and playground last year with grant funding.

“It’s nice and homey, more comfortable,” said teacher assistant Dawn Mello, working to set up her second-floor classroom.

In the next phase, CFC will seek grant funding for a new heating and air conditioning system. Other repairs needed include a new roof at the Robeson Street building.

The three other child care facilities to receive a $1 million grant are located in Dorchester, Roxbury and Springfield. The grant was awarded by the Department of Early Education & Care through the Early Education & Care & Out of School Time Capital Fund.

“With these grants, we will improve the learning environments of our youngest children, boost the capacity of programs to serve more children and create new jobs,” Gov. Charlie Baker said in a press release. “Renovating and repairing facilities helps achieve our goal of improving the quality of early education and care.”

To learn more about CFC’s Head Start program, visit http://cfcinc.org.

Email Deborah Allard at dallard@heraldnews.com

SourceThe Herald News