Albina Head Start, a vital provider of free early child care and preschool services for low-income families in Portland, is taking significant steps to ensure its continued success.
In recent years, the organization has acquired and renovated several properties across North, Northeast, and Southeast Portland, boasting a commitment to care for nearly 1,000 children annually.
The initiative is spearheaded by program director Ron Herndon, who highlights the importance of owning property over leasing, especially amidst fluctuating funding sources.
“This allows the program to have space that it owns. It does not have to lease space,” Herndon explained.
“It solidifies our ability to maintain services going forward in a very uncertain funding environment.”
The financial backbone for these investments comes from Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike, who has contributed over $20 million over the past few years to support Albina Head Start’s expansion efforts.
Herndon noted, “If it were not for him, I don’t know how we could have maintained or owned those properties. We do not have that kind of money.”
A significant focus of this expansion is Northeast Portland, particularly the historic Albina neighborhood, which has prominently served as a center for Oregon’s Black community.
While Albina Head Start provides services to kids from various racial and ethnic backgrounds, it serves more Black children than any other early childhood program in Oregon.
The recent facility expansion on Northeast 16th Avenue and Alberta Street, named the McKinley Burt Center, aims to further support this mission.
The center, named after a notable Black author and mentor from the 1960s, is currently under construction and expected to be completed by next summer, adding two classrooms and outdoor play areas to serve up to 30 additional children.
Herndon emphasizes the critical nature of providing accessible early childhood education, stating, “It’s so important to provide these opportunities to kids at the earliest age possible. Kids that are part of Head Start are more likely to graduate from high school, more likely to attend college, and more likely to avoid the criminal justice system.”
For families like Letty Jimenez, an Albina Head Start parent turned employee, the program has had a transformative impact.
“For our family, it really provided us with a head start in life,” she shared, noting the program’s comprehensive support that allows parents to work full-time while immersing their children in educational activities.
However, operating these programs is fraught with challenges, especially concerning affordable spaces for child care amid high leasing costs, driven largely by ongoing gentrification.
Herndon sheds light on the issue, explaining how the historical context of gentrification has made securing suitable locations increasingly difficult.
“Because it’s been gentrified, it’s been difficult to find spaces for child care that are affordable,” he stated.
This led to Albina Head Start’s commitment to purchasing properties, a strategic decision aimed at long-term sustainability.
Alongside Albina Head Start’s endeavors, other organizations have begun emerging in the region as committed partners in education and community building.
Recently, Albina Vision Trust and Lewis & Clark College announced a collaboration aimed at enhancing educational resources in the Albina neighborhood, contributing to the creation of a child-centered district.
“Communities that have been pushed out of our city are moving back into a neighborhood that is committed to their generational development,” remarked JT Flowers, communications director for Albina Vision Trust.
The area is also slated to see significant school-related investments from Portland Public Schools, which plans to construct a new Jefferson High and Harriet Tubman Middle School along with a Center for Black Student Excellence.
Despite criticism regarding the pace of these developments, the commitment is clear.
Additionally, in a move to strengthen community support, the 1803 Fund recently allocated $25 million each to Albina Head Start and the nonprofit Self Enhancement Inc., designed to uplift Black families and youth through education.
With a continuous focus on building a stronger community fabric, communications manager Juma Sei explained, “We’re interested in things that can be done today, tomorrow, two weeks from now, two years from now that will sustain progress for decades.”
Emphasizing the fund’s dedication to addressing historical inequities, Sei stated, “We are particularly focused on Black children because of the ways our public institutions have been historically ineffective at serving them.”
As Albina Head Start positions itself for the future amidst these collaborations and investments, the commitment to enhancing the educational landscape for Portland’s low-income families remains unwavering.
The organization’s efforts not only promise immediate benefits but also aim to create lasting changes that support future generations.
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