A wave of applause filled the main room of the newly christened Betty Bazaar Community Resource Center in Reseda in late Март, when the product of a partnership between Hope the Mission and CCRC came to fruition.
The facility located on the same campus as Hope the Mission’s homeless shelter will offer Head Start services to children who are experiencing homelessness. Now, families at the shelter will have immediate access to early care and learning services – free of cost.
“We have an amazing team of teachers and center director who are ready to go. I looked at them the other day and thought they’re our dream team, part of CCRC history, because they will be on site at Hope the Mission providing services for our kiddos,” said Nadia Krupansky, CCRC Assistant Director of Comprehensive Services for Early Care and Learning.
When families lose their shelter, they experience a wave of instability that negatively affects their safety, access to food and water, and ability to send their children to school. Early learning is paramount to a child’s later success in life, but homelessness can disrupt their development in a way that impacts them for life. Of the shelter’s 400 residents, about half are children.
“Experiencing homelessness is rough but imagine being a child living in a car, living on the streets and you don’t feel safe,” said Hope the Mission Communications Manager Krissylee Delapinia. “This space will provide what they need to get education, feel safe, and parents have somewhere to leave their children.”
The center comes after years of planning between CCRC and Hope the Mission, which received state funding through Project Home Key to purchase the neighboring lot formerly occupied by a Denny’s restaurant.
“When we first got the property, I thought ‘what’s the highest, best use for it?’” recalled Hope the Mission CEO Ken Craft. “I realized it’s a child care facility. These moms need a place where their kids can be and be stable while moms out working and saving money. My phone call with CCRC and saying, “Is this something you’d be open to?’ The answer was a resounding yes.”
That “yes” led to the development of a special type of Head Start location that provides the hallmarks of CCRC’s award-winning program – early care and learning, nutrition, dental and vision exams, and more – with case specialists who can communicate child needs to the parents and shelter staff. This wrap around service is a rarity, not only in California, but the nation.
“Something like this doesn’t exist, it’s the first of its kind – an in-shelter facility where children get to go and further their education in a safe environment,” said Delapinia. “When they come here, our participants will receive education from quality teachers who are trauma informed, teachers here to partner and make sure that childhood development is occurring. Families will have the peace of mind to know when they drop off here, their children will be taken care of.”
“A lot of places are striving to do this so we’re setting the standard for what this should like. This won’t just be about child care services but the whole family,” said Tamika Brown, CCRC Assistant Director of Early Education Services in Early Care and Learning. “We’re going to be able to provide highest level of quality to families who need it. Families experiencing homelessness really need the services we provide.”
The center is named for philanthropist Betty Bazaar, who with her husband founded Sensor Systems, Inc., an aviation antenna company that would evolve into a major supplier for commercial and corporate aircraft. When the business was sold after Betty’s death, her family decided to further the matron’s legacy through philanthropy. The facility features aviation details designed to honor the late Bazaar.
At the unveiling of the center, Craft addressed the audience before leading a walk through. “You’re only as good as your partners and those that stand with you to make things happen and it takes a village,” he said.
“We know that early education and care create positive outcomes for children that last a lifetime,” said CCRC President and CEO Dr. Michael Olenick. “Every child deserves this opportunity, but families who face housing instability often struggle to access these essential programs. CCRC’s partnership with Hope the Mission is a novel approach to creating this much needed opportunity for all families, regardless of their circumstances. We’re proud to see this unique model come to fruition and serve as a national example of what can be done to make real change for children and families.”
