Former Elementary School to Become Early Childhood Education Facility in Regent Park
As Detroit continues to reemerge, investing more into its communities and early childhood education programming, LifeBUILDERS Detroit announces Regent Park as the location of the newest United Children and Family Head Start Program.
United Children and Family Head Start (UCFHS) currently has five facilities and three child care partnerships servicing Northeast Detroit and is dedicated to providing families of diverse cultural, and ethnic backgrounds to overcome education and economic deprivation. UCFHS was founded in 1979 by the late Dr. Charles Morton of Metropolitan Baptist Church and works through federal funding to offer services to seven Northeast Detroit zip codes.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with LifeBUILDERS and their work in Regent Park for our new facility,” said Roxanne Campbell, Metropolitan Children and Youth Inc. - United Children and Family Head Start Executive Director. “Through the community programs currently being offered and the community center planned for Regent Park through LifeBUILDERS we are able to create a unique one stop area for families to gather.”
The Regent Park Head Start facility, located in what was formerly the Tracy McGregor Elementary School, is currently undergoing renovations made possible by IFF, the Kresge Foundation and LifeBUILDERS.
“IFF believes every child has the right to a quality education, regardless of income level. And that’s never more essential than from ages 0-5,” said Chris Uhl, Executive Director of the nonprofit IFF, which provided the project with financing, grants, real estate services, and guidance on best practice design for early childhood education facilities. “As Detroit rebounds, early education providers need access to capital and expertise to improve their facilities and offer high-quality care and education in the neighborhoods that need it most. We are thrilled to partner with LifeBUILDERS, UCF, and the Regent Park community to help get this facility off the ground.”
Larry Johnson, Executive Director of LifeBUILDERS Detroit added, “Detroit is re-telling its story and we are privileged to be a part of it here on the Northeast corner of the city. Residents are moving back and we are seeing a complete transformation of this community at many levels. This Head Start program is a tangible representation of our commitment to collaborate at all levels to bring about community transformation. We believe that this addition to our work brings to light the unprecedented scope of our work.”
“Detroit neighborhoods and families need more high quality, accessible early childcare options in which children can learn and grow,” said Neesha Modi, program officer at The Kresge Foundation, which provided a grant to IFF’s Learning Spaces program. “Through grants and technical assistance, the Learning Spaces program helps childcare centers across the city access resources to create quality environments for our youngest Detroiters. We hope this center is a wonderful asset to the neighborhood for years to come.”
For more information about United Children and Family Head Start, visit http://www.ucfhs.org. To learn more about LifeBUILDERS’s transformational work to restore an entire community in Detroit known as Regent Park, visit www.lifebuildersdetroit.com