GRAND CROSSING — Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Pastor John Hannah of New Life Covenant Church joined parents and the community Tuesday to cut the ribbon marking a new Grand Crossing Kid Care facility.
Two-year-old Karson greets Pastor John Hannah outside of the Grand Crossing Kid Care. [DNAinfo/Andrea V. Watson]
"I can't be more enthusiastic about this," Emanuel said. "I am proud of the steps that were taken to get here."
He was joined by Deputy Mayor Andrea Zopp and Ald. Michelle Harris (8th).
The $4 million child care center at 7522 S. Greenwood Ave. opened in what was once a factory and is across the street from New Life Covenant's planned new church. It will also be redeveloped into a 40,000-square-foot early learning center. On-site registration opened last May.
The $4 million child care center is located at 7522 S. Greenwood Ave. [DNAinfo/Andrea V. Watson]
There is a dance studio, movie theater room, library/tech corner and more. Students are learning languages like Spanish and Mandarin. There's even baby yoga.
Emanuel said keeping children on track educationally means assisting them early in life.
"We're a better city because of you," he said about Hannah.
Hannah thanked both the mayor and Harris, who also attended.
"As a kid growing up on the West Side I had to get in the car to see something nice," Hannah said. "I promised God that if I did urban ministry, our kids wouldn't have to travel to see first class."
Harris said she has been a part of the process since the beginning. When the church and community was invited to write prayers on the building's wall, she was there.
"This has been an amazing journey," she said. "Today, I feel like a mom. I'm proud to see this transformation. It takes a village to raise children and we're doing just that."
Michelle Redd-Newell, the operator of Grand Crossing Kid Care, said that they're investing in the city's "younger citizens."
She said 61 percent of the community's preschoolers were underserved so there was a need.
"I'm thankful pastor let me help create life long learners," she said.
Parent Jameela Deberry registered her 2-year-old son Karson. Before he came here, her mother was watching him.
"I really like the curriculum like Spanish and Mandarin," she said.
Parents can also download an App called "Watch Me Grow." It allows her to watch her son from home.
"This is a state-of-the-art facility. There is nothing like this on the South Side of Chicago," Redd-Newell said. "We really wanted to expose our children to things that they would not customarily be exposed to. Where can you go in the inner city of Chicago, where you primarily have African-American students and you’re learning Mandarin?"
Learn more at www.grandcrossingkidcare.org.
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