FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:                March 27, 2008

Contact:           Julie Taren, Senior Administrative Analyst

                        City of Santa Monica

                        (310) 458-8701

 

  

The Santa Monica Child Care & Early Education Task Force will join the national celebration of the Week of the Young Child--this year slated for April 13-19, 2008—with a series of activities throughout the month of April.  The theme for this year’s Week of the Young Child is “Bring Communities Together for Children—Children Bring Communities Together.” 

 

The task force has invited civic leaders in Santa Monica to show their support for early learning in our community by reading a story at a participating Santa Monica child care center or family child care home (see schedule below).  On April 8, 2008, the Santa Monica City Council is expected to issue a proclamation designating April 2008 as the “Month of the Young Child” in Santa Monica, recognizing the importance of early childhood education as vital to communities in providing a strong foundation for children to succeed in school and in life.

 

Since 1983, the Santa Monica Child Care & Early Education Task Force has been working together with the City of Santa Monica to create unique and workable solutions to address the critical problems of child care in our community.  Through the work and cooperation of the many organizations that make up the task force, their achievements have included increasing funding for child care subsidies, protecting and increasing child care spaces and programming in our community, creating professional development opportunities and advocating for a new early mental health prevention pilot in a range of child care centers and family child care homes in Santa Monica.

 

The schedule of readers is below.  As these are childcare facilities with an established enrollment, the readings are not open to the general public.  Interested members of the media may attend on a limited basis with advance notification – please contact the school directly or Human Services at (310) 458-8701.  Plan to bring press credentials and identification.

 

Wednesday, April 2, 2008, 4:00 p.m.

Louise Jaffe, Santa Monica College Trustee

Hill & Dale Family Learning Center

2801 25th St.

Contact: Becky Thomson, 310-450-2803

 

Thursday, April 3, 2008, 5:15 p.m.    

Richard Bloom, City of Santa Monica Mayor Pro Tempore

The Growing Place

401 Ashland Avenue

Contact: Ellie Pittman, (310) 399-7760

 

Tuesday, April 8, 2008, 10:00 a.m.

Susan Aminoff, Santa Monica College Trustee

St. Joseph Center

401 Ashland Avenue

Contact: Dina Brevdo, (310) 392-4935

 

Wednesday, April 9, 2008, 10:30 a.m.

Chief Tim Jackman, Santa Monica Police Department

Maohr Hatorah

1537 Franklin St.

Contact: Miriam Fiber, 310-453-2609

 

Thursday, April 10, 2008 5:15 p.m.

Ken Genser, Santa Monica City Councilmember

Location TBA

 

Tuesday, April 15, 2008, 10:00 a.m.

Chief Jim Hone, Santa Monica Fire Department

McKinley Preschool

2401 Santa Monica Blvd.

Contact: Judy Abdo, 310-399-5865

 

Wednesday, April 16, 2008, 3:00 p.m.

Diane Tallarico, Superintendent, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District

Les Enfants

2702 Virginia Avenue

Contact: Nancy Behravesh or Barbara Elliot, 310-315-0058

 

Thursday, April 17, 2008, 4:00 p.m.

Kevin McKeown, Santa Monica City Councilmember

The Growing Place at Marine Park

1406 Marine Street

Pauline Tranter or Kim Turner

 (310) 392-9737

 

Thursday, April 17, 2008, 3:00 p.m.

P. Lamont Ewell, Santa Monica City Manager

John Adams Child Development Center

2320 17th Street SM

Contact: Judy Abdo 310-399-5865

 

Friday, April 18, 2008 10:30 a.m.

Barry Snell, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board Member

Hill & Dale Discovery Center

1540 26th Street

Contact: Nina Moench, 310-828-6766