The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey (CHSofNJ) was honored to host New Jersey Department of Children and Families (NJ DCF) Commissioner Allison Blake, Ph.D., and Assistant Commissioner, Family and Community Partnerships, Charmaine Thomas, as they visited the CHSofNJ Head Start/Early Head Start Center on Bellevue Avenue to read to children and meet with staff and parent volunteers.
The visit was an effort of Governor Christie’s fourth annual “Season of Service,” a time when the governor and leaders of New Jersey State Departments volunteer their time to various community service projects throughout the state. Following a tour of CHSofNJ’s Head Start/Abbott Bellevue Center, Dr. Blake read The Kindness Quilt by Nancy Wallace, a story about kindness and selflessness, to the children attending the program. Commissioner Blake also sang with the children a rousing rendition of a holiday favorite, The Twelve Days of Christmas.
“Our Head Start and Early Head Start Programs enable us to prepare children for school and academic success.” Wendy Garrett, Executive Director of CHSofNJ’s Head Start/Early Head Start Program explained. She continued, “These programs empower parents to play an active role in the education and development of their children, leading to a sense of pride and ownership in each child’s success. Our success is building family support and offering children the strong educational foundation they need for their futures.”
The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey’s Head Start Program promotes school readiness for children by providing comprehensive educational, health, nutritional and social services. Parents play a large role in the program, both as primary educators and as participants in administering the program locally. CHSofNJ is Trenton’s sole provider of center-based Head Start/Early Head Start and Early Head Start Home Based Services for 372 Trenton children from pregnancy to age five and their families. CHSofNJ also partners with the Trenton Board of Education, working with Monica Carmichael, Assistant Director for the Division of Early Childhood, to offer Abbott-enriched learning classrooms at three of the four CHSofNJ Head Start Centers, including Bellevue.
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