PEORIA, Ill. – Low-income families looking for an option for child care and education while they work during the day have a new option in a familiar location.
The Peoria Citizens Committee for Economic Opportunity last month opened a new “Birth to Five” location in the CityLink Transit Center on SW Adams. The location is in the former Myah’s child care location. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Monday to show the facility to the public.
The “Birth to Five” center is a dual language facility that teaches Spanish speaking children English, and vice versa. It also teaches science, math, and reading.
Head Start Director Charles White says the center serves a need for low-income families.
“This takes a huge burden off of families that are having to make a decision of child care or groceries. Getting my child’s learning education, so I have to do that. So do we get to eat or do I get to pay a bill? So now, just think, you don’t have to have that aspect of worrying about fiscal concerns for paying for your child’s learning,” White said.
White says the program is federally funded and is free to families that qualify, based off of age and income.
The center is a partnership between PCCEO, CityLink, and the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce. White says the backing from CityLink helps those families without easy access to transportation.
“Having the ability to say, ‘okay, I’m enrolled in a CityLink location. I can actually catch the bus at home with my child, and then drop my child off here, and I can actually catch the bus back and pick my child up.’ What a great opportunity for a family, so that’s one less thing you have to worry about,” White said.
White says the program is available to all families in Peoria County.
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