Mayors' Shining Star Gala -- April 25, 2004
to Benefit Better Beginnings

BB Board Chairman receives a Proclamation

Better Beginnings is licensed by the State of New Jersey, and has a contract with the State of New Jersey for a number of learning spaces. 

Better Beginnings provides: 

1. A Full-Day Program, Open 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. 
2. A developmentally-appropriate multi-cultural, bilingual curriculum with activities based on individual needs and learning styles, promoted by a Dedicated Professional Staff. 
3. Outside activities using our Playyard, nearby parks, discovery walks and excursions. 
4. Nutritious breakfast, lunch and snacks; Nutritious hot lunches and snacks. 
5. Priority is given to protective service children, working parents, special needs, ESL 
6. Social Skills Development, including enhancing self-image, independence, respect for self and others, friendship, choice-making, and conflict resolution. 
7. An opportunity for Volunteerism and Contributions to a valuable community service. 

Fees (co-payments) for learning spaces at Better Beginnings are based on a sliding scale, covering all income categories.  The top enrollment priority goes to State-contracted spaces for lowest income. 

Better Beginnings accepts applications all year for upcoming sessions and ocassional current openings. 

Call for more information or a tour of the school. 
Phone: (609) 448-6226 
 

Better Beginnings is a provider of human services, having evolved during its 34 years of existence from providing a nursery school experience for a few economically disadvantaged children, to the provision of affordable quality child care for many, to the provision of such other services as feasible to meet the emerging needs of the families and children in the communities it serves.  Better Beginnings seeks to serve all people in need of its services regardless of religious affiliation, race, sex, age, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, handicap, sexual orientation, or marital status, and encourages self-esteem, mutual respect and harmonious relationships among all the diverse elements of the human community.

In the provision of services, Better Beginnings is committed first and foremost to providing affordable, quality child care, giving parents the opportunity to be self-supporting, contributing and involved members of the community while providing their children with developmentally-appropriate learning experiences in a safe, healthy, nurturing environment.  Better Beginnings is further committed to be as responsive as possible to the unmet needs of the families and children of its community, providing programs wherever feasible to meet such needs.

In the process of responding to the ever-changing needs and problems of its families and children, Better Beginnings has evolved from a narrowly-focused program to a multi-service agency, while carefully maintaining the excellence and innovation for which the agency is noted.
 

Contact information	Executive Director: Luz N. Horta Email:  bbluzz@hotmail.com
	Director Emeritus:  Bettie Witherspoon Email: BeWith@mail2Peace.com
	318 North Main St.  Hightstown, NJ 08520  Phone: (609) 448-6226  Fax: (609) 448-6573  URL: http://www.princetonol.com/groups/bbcdc/ Email: betterbeginnings@bbdcntr.org

Full-Day, Year Round, with developmentally-appropriate activities in language development (English and Spanish), math, science, gross/fine motor control, visual/auditory perception, music/movement, arts & and crafts, computer learning games, socialization, role-playing, problem-solving, health & and safety, and more. 

After-Kindergarten group (or Full-Day), Features academic, social and physical development; substance abuse and violence prevention activities, accent on character development, and emergent literacy for children learning to read in second language.
 

 Meets after school, with full and half-days when the EWRSD is closed and Better Beginnings is open.

"Book Day" ("Brighter Opportunities for all Our Kids") is every Wednesday, with reading tutors.  Also, BBCDC provides supervised internet access for the after-school children. 

Applications are accepted year round, and should be made well in advance of enrollment.  Immunization and medical reports, and income verification for state-supported learning spaces are required. Call 1-609-448-6226, or visit Better Beginnings. Office hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. 

Volunteers are welcome in all programs, including classrooms, food service, trips, fund-raising, board membership, etc. Better Beginnings is an "RSVP" station.  Literacy volunteers for Wednesday after-school "Book" Day are needed.  Training will be provided.  Please call, write, or e-mail for more information. 

Contributions are gratefully received. Donations of toys, food, clothes, computers--new or used, software, paper, materials, equipment, furniture, craft items, items for families, are also very welcome. All donations are tax-deductible. 

Better Beginnings shares its joy with its volunteers.    Underfunding and understaffing make volunteers more important to the quality of the program than ever.  Become a nurturing assistant by spending one morning a week with a group of preschoolers who need your time and attention.  The children will love you for it!

Become a computer mentor and help close the digital divide for some after-school kids on  Mondays and/or Tuesdays from 4:00 -5:30 pm.  Work in the office and help keep the wheels turning.  Bring your passion for arts and crafts or any other hobby with you to work with an After-Kindergarten group any day Monday - Friday between 11:30 and 5:30 p.m.  Whatever you do, we have a place for you.  If you can't stand to be around kids, you can help us with repairs to our equipment without coming near them.  Or repair second and third generation computers to pass on to those who have none.  Collect pennies and coins to help those who want to be around the children buy food and supplies and educational materials.

Better Beginnings is about encouraging families and children to reach their full potential.  Use your potential to help further the goal.

Better Beginnings' affordable child care for income-eligible families, and its drug and violence prevention programs are subsidized by Social Services Block Grant funding through the N.J. Division of Youth and Family Services, the United Way of Greater Mercer County, the Township of East Windsor, Borough of Hightstown, Mercer County, Child-Adult Food Program, First Presbyterian Church of Hightstown, contributions, and fundraising. 

Cuts in funding have made contributions and fundraisers essential to the continuation of the program.

Better Beginnings Wish List
 

The operating policies of Better Beginnings are set by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of Parent Members and Community Members.  A majority of the Board are Parent Members who are elected for 1-year terms, and must have one or more children enrolled at Better Beginnings.  Community Members are elected for 2-year terms and in many cases, are nominated because they are willing to provide a particular expertise to the board. 

Regular Board meetings are held monthly, and are open to the public under NJ Sunshine laws.  Public notices of the meetings are posted in our local newspapers.  The Better Beginnings families have an organization (called "HOPE") which also meets monthly and has its own officers.  It serves as the opportunity for the families to partner with the center for the well-being and education of their children, express their concerns, wishes, socialize, learn additional parenting skills, plan fundraisers and other volunteer activities.