Dallas Fort Worth Nonprofit Business Journal

Tag: Head Start

  • CCA and Community Partners Gather to Celebrate Opening of Child Care Studio at Rise 

    CCA and Community Partners Gather to Celebrate Opening of Child Care Studio at Rise 

    New early learning campus advances the Las Vegas Trail community revitalization effort with expanded classrooms and outdoor learning  

    Child Care Associates (CCA) announced the community opening of the Child Care Studio at Rise at Las Vegas Trail. The new early learning campus expands access to affordable, high-quality child care for families in the Las Vegas Trail Rise community, with nature-inspired classrooms and outdoor learning spaces that support school readiness, parent employment, and family well-being. 

    “This Child Care Studio shows what’s possible when we work side by side with federal, state, and local community partners committed to supporting the Las Vegas Trail community,” said Kara Waddell, president and CEO of Child Care Associates. “Together, we’re investing in early learning at the heart of the neighborhood—creating a place where children can thrive and giving families reliable child care options that support work, education, and stability, while strengthening the broader vision for a safer, healthier Las Vegas Trail.”  
     
    CCA addressed the community need with support from public and philanthropic partners, including the Administration for Children and Families federal Office of Head Start, Tarrant County, the City of Fort Worth, Rainwater Charitable Foundation, Amon G. Carter Foundation, PNC Foundation, and Sid W. Richardson Foundation. Together, these investments expanded options for families with infants and toddlers in this Tarrant County neighborhood and strengthened access to comprehensive early learning and family support services. The studio offers affordable tuition, scholarships, and Head Start and Early Head Start—helping families with young children return to work while helping young children build strong foundations for kindergarten and long-term success. 

    The PNC Foundation funded the nature-inspired outdoor learning environment, which complements the campus’s eight new classrooms, indoor play area and community kitchen—featuring sensory exploration, natural discovery and active play areas that encourage curiosity, problem-solving and healthy development. The investment reflects the PNC Foundation’s philanthropic focus on early childhood education and community support. Through PNC Grow Up Great®, launched in 2004, PNC has committed $500 million in a bilingual, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and in life. The outdoor learning space also features a children’s garden that will be used for nutrition education, healthy eating, and farm-to-school teaching made possible through a supplemental nutrition grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  
     

    “Through Grow Up Great, we are excited to provide the young learners at Child Care Studio at Rise with an outdoor learning area that inspires curiosity and wonder,” said Dale Klose, PNC Southwest territory executive. “A growing body of research shows that interacting with nature supports children’s learning and development and this space is designed to use nature to enhance early education and spark creativity.” 
     

    Source: Press release

  • Tarrant County’s largest Head Start/Early Head Start provider hires Executive Director

    Head Start is the first U.S. national program in early education and Child Care Associates (CCA) has managed both Head Start and Early Head Start in Tarrant County since its inception more than 50 years ago. With 23 years experience as a school district administrator and four years in the classroom, Dr. Helena Mosely has joined Child Care Associates (CCA) as its executive director of Head Start.


    “I’m thrilled to join an organization that is such an innovative leader in the early learning space. As a child-centered leader, my focus is on how we at Child Care Associates continue to deliver high quality learning experiences for our students and provide services that support families,” commented Head Start Executive Director Dr. Helena Mosely. “The CCA team is a talented group of people working toward a common goal. I’m excited that after decades of experience with school districts that I now have the opportunity to impact children in their most formative years – when they are infants, toddlers and preschoolers.”


    Since beginning her career as a classroom teacher in urban and rural schools, as well as overseas, Dr. Mosely has led multiple campuses to exemplary status as Assistant Superintendent, Director and Principal, overseeing multi-campus operations and leading strategic planning. In her most recent leadership role at Crowley ISD, she introduced CCA’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs to their elementary schools. Dr. Mosely is a graduate of Cheyney University with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, earned her Master of Education and Educational Administration from Sul Ross State University and has a Doctorate in Theology.
    “We are out-of-this-world thrilled to have Dr. Mosely joining the Child Care Associates’ team. She is a fireball of energy, and her leadership is unparalleled when working to improve outcomes for young children and their families at scale,” commented CCA CEO Kara Waddell.


    Dr. Mosely is a member of National Alliance of Black School Educators, Texas Alliance of Black School Educators, Southwest Dallas Alliance of Black School Educators, Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the National Educational Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa.

  • Child Care Associates receives Head Start funding

    Child Care Associates of Tarrant County announces over 20 million in funding for Head Start and Early Head Start programs.