Friday, October 31, 2003

The new kids on the block are inviting the neighbors over to play

Sheltering Arms Child Development & Family Support will host a “Housewarming” for its newest early childhood education center on Tuesday, November 18, at 6:30 p.m.ÊMembers of the South Fulton Chamber of Commerce, co-sponsor of the event, will join other community supporters and the Sheltering Arms family for a cocktail reception at the center, which is located on the campus of Camp Creek Middle School, 4345 Welcome All Road, Atlanta. Throughout the evening, guests will have the opportunity to tour Sheltering Arms’ state-of-the-art preschool and child care facility, which is a prototype that will be replicated in three other South Fulton communities by Spring 2004. In lieu of housewarming gifts, guests are asked to donate a new teddy bear or book to be given to an infant, toddler, or preschooler during the holidays.

“Education is the cornerstone of any community’s quality of life and economic development,” said John Boothby, President of the South Fulton Chamber of Commerce. “Sheltering Arms offers an unparalleled opportunity for our community, one that will help prepare our children for success in school and that will ultimately help our businesses attract and retain a quality, stable workforce.”

Sheltering Arms’ new centers will be the first preschools serving the six South Fulton municipalities to be accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Founded in 1888 by Atlanta volunteers, Sheltering Arms has become a nationally recognized model for its success in preparing young children for school.

Because of Sheltering Arms’ track record in delivering quality, effective early childhood education, Fulton County School System selected Sheltering Arms for a unique partnership. In an effort to improve school readiness, three of the new Sheltering Arms facilities in South Fulton will be located on or near school campuses. Research has shown that quality early childhood education improves test scores, cuts high school drop out rates, and reduces the need for remedial education.

'Sheltering Arms’ new center on the campus of Camp Creek Middle School opened on August 11 of this year. The center serves 250 children ages 6 weeks through 5 years old with affordable, quality preschool, child care and Georgia Pre-K, as well as Head Start.ÊIn addition to the support of Fulton County Schools, the new Sheltering Arms centers are being made possible by funding from Smart Start Georgia, Head Start, Fulton County Community Development Block Grant funds, BellSouth, the Coca-Cola Foundation, the UPS Foundation, Bank of America, Delta Airlines, Georgia Power, and others.ÊSheltering Arms recently announced an anonymous $1.5 million challenge, bringing the total raised for the four new South Fulton centers to $14.2 million, $800,000 shy of the campaign’s goal of $15 million.

In addition to the new center at Camp Creek Middle School, Sheltering Arms opened its East Point center near Hamilton Holmes Elementary School in June 2003. Two more facilities, one on the campus of the new Oakley Township Elementary School near Union City, and the other across from the South Fulton Government Center on Stonewall Tell Road, will open in Spring 2004.

Sheltering Arms is metro Atlanta's oldest and largest nonprofit child development agency, and one of its most respected. The agency serves more than 3,400 children each year with quality early childhood education and comprehensive family support in 16 centers in seven counties.

All Sheltering Arms centers meet the accreditation standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and all offer scholarship assistance to students based on income and family size. Sheltering Arms, a United Way funded agency, has been recognized by Cornell University’s Empowering Families Project, the Harvard Family Research Project, the National Association of State Boards of Education, and others for the effectiveness of its programs. Last year 92% of Sheltering Arms’ children met or exceeded school readiness requirements and developmental milestones. The remaining 8% were either new to the program or were referred for services to address special needs.

For information on Sheltering Arms Child Development and Family Support, please call 404-523-2767 or visit www.shelteringarmsforkids.com.