Little Grads, Big Dreams

On June 26 the Recreation center in St. James Park in the Bronx, was aglow with pride and big smiles. Four pre-k classes from the The Future of America Learning Center (FALC) in the Bronx were walking down the aisle to their next big year - kindergarten.

Hundreds of eligible 1199SEIU members send their kids to the FALC center in the Bronx with the help of their union Child Care Fund benefits. And because 1199SEIU members helped win the fight to expand Universal Pre-K in New York City, more children will have access to quality programs like FALC. “It was a wonderful experience. It really helped my daughter grow,” said Genelle Rose, a laundry worker at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. Her daughter Geanna Williams, 4 heads to kindergarten next fall.

“She made so many friends there and loved her teachers,” continues Rose. “They did a wonderful job encouraging her development. She learned so many words and math. She knows about other cultures. Her foundation for next year is very strong.”

FALC has been deemed a “showcase” and “learning partner” site by the NYC DOE for its gold standard early childhood education curriculum, which they are using to develop and train other early childhood learning centers across the city