Thursday, September 17, 2015

New Vailsburg Child Development Center Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony


Newark, New Jersey: A ribbon cutting ceremony was held this afternoon at the Unified Vailsburg Services Organization's new Vailsburg Child Development Center at Palm Street. 


"It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood", said Dale Goodwin of UVSO.


The center, which is in the Vailsburg section of Newark's West Ward, serves children ranging in age from six weeks to three years. It officially opened on Tuesday, September 8th, and is inclusive of children with disabilities.


"The first few years of a child's life are extremely important", said Beverly Lynn of Programs for Parents.


Attendees were welcomed to the event by head start students singing "if you like your new building, shout hurray!" 


Several companies, including JPMorgan Chase, PSE&G, TD Bank, PNC Bank, Wells Fargo, and Valley National Bank, helped secure funding for the project.


"Early childhood education is perhaps the most important investment we can make in our youth", said Dr. Randal Pinkett of BCT Partners to attendees.


Karen McGuinness of JPMorgan Chase stated that the company is "thrilled to be here and thrilled to partner with you [UVSO] in making this a reality for our children".


Tomas Porturas of Wells Fargo added that his company is "proud to partner with you [UVSO] because this organization really cares about children".


There are currently 50 students enrolled at the center, and there is a maximum of eight children per class of two teachers. Seven classrooms are located in the building.


"This is a wonderful development", said Marsha Atkind of the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.


Tours were offered of the facility following the ceremony.


This is the third Vailsburg Child Development Center. Other centers are located on Smith Street in Vailsburg and Irvington Avenue in Ivy Hill. In recent years, hundreds of new students have become part of the program.


The Vailsburg Child Development Center at Palm Street is located at 1033 South Orange Avenue near Sanford Avenue, though the entrance and parking lot are off of Palm Street. It is open from 7:00am to 5:00pm, and is near a Bus 31 stop, allowing parents with children in the center to commute to work after dropping their children off.










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