Construction on the latest Early Care and Education (ECE) program location is in its final stages, on track for completion in July 2021 and in time for the school year opening in the fall of 2021.
Spearheaded by the CYF Division, Felton Institute will be unveiling the program site as part of a new 100% affordable housing development, “Casa Adelante.” Located at 199 Shotwell Street in the rapidly gentrifying Mission District, the community housing project boasts 143 low-cost rental units while providing accessible birth-to-career resources. Some features are community spaces, preschool to after-school programs, and activities for youth and young adults.
This project is a joint effort between the Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) and the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC). Felton Institute is excited that our Early Care and Education program will open the additional site in the new development location, adding to families’ future success in the Mission neighborhood.
Felton COO and CYF Division Head Yohana Quiroz explains, “This project is going to serve about 45 young children, from birth to age five and includes children with special needs. There is a high need in San Francisco, and we are happy that the city continues to invest in these types of programs. Felton Institute is proud to support the city’s efforts in creating accessible early care and education programs for all children.”
The newest ECE center will follow the same successful educational program models and curriculum Felton is known for, incorporating neurodiversity, inclusion, and intergenerational interaction. The goal is to support not only the child but the entire family. Quiroz explains, “To build the foundation for future learning, we work in partnership with families so that we can support them with their own personal and professional goals and needs. The two-generation approach benefits the entire family – ensuring that they are doing well, physically, emotionally, socially, and financially.”
During the groundbreaking ceremony in May 2019, San Francisco Mayor London Breed commented. “I’m excited about what this project will do, not just provide family housing, but childcare, which we know is so challenging for families who have small children. So, what a great opportunity for families to have a place to live that’s affordable, and to have affordable daycare in the same building and know that their children are being cared for!”
Presently, CYF runs three other ECE centers: Family Developmental Center, Sojourner Truth Center, Martin Luther King Center and Felton Learning Center serving 350 children across the San Francisco Bay area.
For general inquiries about Felton’s ECE programs, please contact admissions@felton.org. For more information about Felton’s Early Care and Education Programs, please visit the ECE program page.
About Felton Institute: Founded in 1889, Felton Institute responds to human needs by providing cutting edge, evidence-based mental health and social services that transform lives. Felton Institute is a tax-exempt organization registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit under EIN 94-1156530.
Offering more than 50 acclaimed and honored programs that address homelessness, mental health, prenatal, adolescent, adult and senior needs, Felton Institute provides services in San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, Marin, and Monterey counties.
Felton is named for its social services pioneer and executive director Dr. Katharine “Kitty” Felton who was called the ”conscience of San Francisco” and was committed to ensuring that children and families in crisis have access to social services and resources in order to help them build upon their inherent strengths and develop self-sufficiency. www.felton.org