Early Childhood Services Expand for Albany Park Families as Albany Park Community Center Joins Carole Robertson Center for Learning’s High-quality Education Network
Newly named “Carole Robertson Center for Learning at Albany Park” gains new focus as an education center with expanded resources, and greater stability
CHICAGO, Ill. – Albany Park families have access to expanded, critical early childhood education and one-on-one support services as the nonprofit Carole Robertson Center for Learning takes over as new owners and operators of the Albany Park Community Center. Now named Carole Robertson Center for Learning at Albany Park, the transition brings new stability to the community, addressing a shortage of education programs for infants, toddlers, and expectant mothers. Current Albany Park Community Center staff will join the Carole Robertson Center team as of August 1, 2021.
“We began partnering with Albany Park Community Center earlier this year through a federal Early Head Start grant to expand early learning options to more children across Chicago,” said Carole Robertson Center for Learning President and CEO Bela Moté. “We’re excited now to bring our comprehensive education and support services for children and youth to meet Albany Park families where they are, and help transform the beloved neighborhood anchor into an education anchor for children and youth through age 17.”
“Carole Robertson Center for Learning has the expertise and proven programs to expand these critical services here in Albany Park,” said Paul Foley, Albany Park Community Center Board Chair. “For our families, education is the most pressing need, and this transition brings resources and stability to our Center, enabling us to better serve the Albany Park community into the future,” he added.
This is the latest in a series of expansions for Carole Robertson Center, which has grown quickly over the past year.
- Earlier this month, the U.S. Office of Head Start awarded Carole Robertson Center a five-year, $103 million grant to serve 666 Head Start and 513 Early Head Start children, one of only five Chicago nonprofits selected as direct grantees in a redistribution of funds previously allocated entirely to the city of Chicago.
- In March of this year, the U.S. Office of Head Start awarded Carole Robertson Center a five-year, $20 million Early Head Start (EHS) expansion grant] enabling the Center to serve 185 more children in 16 under-resourced communities, including six new service areas for Carole Robertson Center.
- Amid the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020, Carole Robertson Center was the first major early learning organization to reopen, welcoming children of essential workers with quality education in a safe environment.
With this series of expansions, Carole Robertson Center now serves more than 1,500 Chicago children and their families, in 27 Chicago communities through just about any service delivery model:
- At three early learning and youth development centers in Albany Park, Little Village and North Lawndale
- Through home visits by specialized educators trained to work with families during a child’s first three years
- Through its growing network of licensed family child care homes•
- At early childhood “micro-centers” located in partner schools.
