The District 65 Family Center will host an open house to introduce the Doorway to Learning Childcare Center to the community.

This community reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 8, in the Family Center at the Joseph E. Hill Education Center, 1500 McDaniel Ave., Evanston.

Superintendent Hardy Murphy said the program will increase educational opportunities for families most in need and help prepare youngsters for their formal academic experiences.

“The Doorway to Learning Childcare Center offers the chance for District 65 to provide early interventions through extended contact with these preschool-aged children,” Murphy said.

The newly licensed program opened April 28 and can serve up to 24 children from birth to age three. operating weekdays from 7:30 am to 5:30 p.m. at the Hill Center.

Applications are still being accepted from eligible families. The full-day childcare program is made possible through an Illinois State Board of Education grant for families who qualify for subsidy through the Illinois Action for Children.

Eligible families must also reside within the boundaries of Evanston/Skokie School District 65. Proof of residency is required; parents must also participate in the Parenting Education and Parent/Child Interactive activities twice a month. Children currently enrolled in a licensed childcare program are not eligible for this program.

The program will operate classrooms that include an infant class for children 6 weeks through 14 months, a Toddler I class for children ages 15-24 months and a Toddler II class for children 25-36 months.

The community is invited to tour the facility, including the newly constructed kitchen service area and toddler bathroom facility. For additional information about the event or the program, please contact the program coordinator at 847 859-8550.

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