Liberty Street Early Head Start Center
December 21, 2020
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (MERCER)–Hamilton Township is proud to welcome The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey’s new Early Head Start center to their Liberty Street location.
Earlier this year, The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey (CHSofNJ) was awarded a federal grant to expand its Early Head Start center-based program. Under this grant, the agency has purchased and begun accepting construction bids to renovate 1435 Liberty Street. The building, which previously housed an adult day center, will undergo extensive renovations to now deliver care and education for 80 infants, toddlers, and their families. The center, located on the border of Hamilton and Trenton, will also provide office space for the program’s home visitors, who will serve an additional 147 infants, toddlers, and pregnant women.
The reconfigured space will include ten state-of-the-art classrooms – five infant classrooms and five toddler classrooms; ample indoor play space and an outdoor playground; office space for staff and the program nurse; conference rooms and community meeting space; a laundry room; and a commercial-grade kitchen to prepare daily meals and snacks as well as nutritious food for socialization events for all 541 infants, toddlers, preschoolers and pregnant moms enrolled in CHSofNJ’s Head Start/Early Head Start (HS/EHS) programs, including those served at the agency’s existing four sites in Trenton (715 Bellevue Avenue; 1198 Southard Street; 794 East State Street, and 1746 South Clinton Avenue).
Zoning Board approval was received in November 2020, and construction is expected to begin in late December 2020/early January 2021. Construction is anticipated to be completed in July 2021, and the facility will be operational in time for the 2021/2022 school year. This project will create an estimated 50 local construction jobs and ongoing employment for 40 early childhood and support staff.
“We are grateful that The Children’s Home Society of NJ decided to make Hamilton the home for their Early Head Start Center,” said Mayor Jeff Martin. “The services provided by Head Start programs are critical for low-income families and children in the most impactful time of their lives and have proven to have immediate and lasting effects across multiple generations. Under the leadership of Mr. Isaac Dorsey, the Hamilton center is sure to help our community thrive under the Head Start model for many years to come.”
The Head Start/Early Head Start program embraces the comprehensive services model to promote school readiness in children from low-income families. The program supports children’s growth and development in a positive learning environment through a variety of services, including: evidence-based early childhood education; health, mental health, and disabilities services; family support services, including help with education/training and employment, and parent engagement in their children’s education; and more. Children enrolled in Early Head Start will transition into CHSofNJ’s Head Start program. As a result of the EHS and HS options, CHSofNJ is able to provide families with education and support from pregnancy through age 5.
“The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey Early Head Start program is proud to provide these important early childhood education services in Trenton, and we are thrilled to now expand our reach to serve families in Hamilton as well,” stated Isaac Dorsey, Executive Director, CHSofNJ Head Start/Early Head Start. “From our conversations with Hamilton’s Mayor, Jeff Martin, it is clear that he shares our vision and goal to strengthen and support families in our community to achieve their full potential. We are truly grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Cities of Trenton and Hamilton in our mission of saving children’s lives and building healthy families.”
More information on The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey Early Head Start program can be found on their website at www.chsofnj.org.
