Grand St. Settlement hosted a ribbon cutting today to celebrate the launch of Pelham Parkway Child & Family Center, the first of five new sites opening in the Bronx over the next year. The ceremony was attended by recording artist and early childhood education advocate Natalie Merchant, Rep. Ritchie Torres, and other elected officials, partners, and community members.
Grand St. Settlement is a historic settlement house serving New Yorkers for 110 years throughout the Lower East Side, Brooklyn and now the Bronx. Pelham Parkway Child and Family Center, located at 2305 White Plains Road, will serve 67 children and their families while employing 21 highly trained staff. The new Child & Family Center brings Grand Street’s reputable, full-family support model to high need neighborhoods in the Bronx for the first time.
“This is a historic day for Grand Street as we officially become residents of the Bronx for the first time in our 110 year history,” said Grand St. Settlement CEO, Robert Cordero. “Our neighbors in the Bronx are experiencing a child care crisis and Grand St. Settlement is ready to provide the high-quality care that we’re known for. We are proud to be doing our part to deliver high-quality child care to families throughout New York City.”
“It is my honor to stand with Grand Street Settlement as they open their first Head Start center in the Bronx,” said United States Representative Ritchie Torres. “The $55 million federal investment in Head Start will significantly support the important work being done here, providing real assistance to families who need it most. Access to high-quality child care is not a luxury, but a necessity for working families. The opening of the Pelham Parkway Child & Family Center is a major investment in our children, our parents, and our future. I’m proud to welcome Grand Street Settlement to our district and grateful for their commitment to addressing the child care crisis and ensuring every child gets the strong start they deserve”
Recording artist and early childhood education advocate Natalie Merchant joined the celebration and performed her hit single “Kind & Generous”. Merchant recently partnered with the National Head Start Association to become their artist in residence.
“I am thrilled to help celebrate the opening of five beautiful new pre-school classrooms at the Pelham Parkway Child & Family Center,” said Natalie Merchant, recording artist and early childhood education advocate. “Early childhood education and care of this quality is too often out of reach for working families. Through building this new facility, Grand Street, in partnership with Head Start, is providing vital support to this community. So many children will learn and laugh and be nurtured inside these walls. The work that has been done here is visionary, like planting trees.”
Grand Street’s next Bronx Child and Family Centers will open throughout the year in the Mount Eden, Mott Haven, West Farms, and Crotona Park neighborhoods. These new sites, along with previously established Family Child Care Partnerships, will provide over 450 child care slots for children and over 100 jobs for educators.
Grand Street’s high-quality child care programs focus on early learning, health and wellness, family well-being, and community engagement. Enrollment information, careers, and background on Grand St. Settlement can be found at grandsettlement.org.
