SAY San Diego stands with the Campaign for an Office of Child and Youth Success, and the Community Budget Alliance to urge the Mayor and the City Council to invest in the resources that our communities have been asking for. It is absolutely critical that an Office of Child and Youth Success is included in our budget to connect, grow and integrate existing programs and functions. Our community must come together intentionally in support of children, youth, and their families if we are to have a resilient, equitable, and racially just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A lack of affordable, high-quality early childhood care throughout San Diego County is an enormous obstacle that adversely affects children’s readiness for kindergarten and school, and creates barriers to employment and upward mobility for new parents.

Thousands of parents are forced to make an impossible choice between paying more than they can afford; settling for cheaper, lower-quality care; or leaving the workforce altogether.

That’s why a childcare facility at SAY San Diego is such a significant milestone for the region. Thanks to a grant from The San Diego Foundation, SAY San Diego’s workplace-based Early Childhood Center now offers accessible, affordable and high-quality childcare to its employees and community parents.

Click here to read the full article from The San Diego Foundation

Media Advisory for Friday, November 15, 2019

SAY San Diego Early Childhood Center in Kearny Mesa Opens

What

A lack of affordable, high quality early childhood care throughout San Diego area is an enormous obstacle that adversely affects children’s readiness for Kindgergarten and school, and creates barriers to employment and career development for new parents.  In partnership with the Guy C. Clum Fund at The San Diego Foundation, SAY San Diego is opening its first workplace childcare program for infants 6 weeks to 24 months and preschoolers 2 to 5 years old.  The SAY San Diego Early Childhood Center offers accessible, affordable and high-quality child care to its employees and community parents in a nature-themed setting.  With a $500,000 grant from the Guy C. Clum Fund at The San Diego Foundation, SAY San Diego was able to pursue its vision of creating greater equity and opportunity for young families. SAY’s center offers flex fees based on household income and an innovative model and consulting team to assist local employers to develop child-care centers at their own workplaces.

For nearly 50 years, Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) San Diego has been committed to opportunity, equity, and well-being for all San Diegans, and currently strengthens children, families, and communities through more than 30 programs. www.saysandiego.org

Who

Nancy Gannon Hornberger, President & CEO, SAY San Diego
LaDreda Lewis, Board President, SAY San Diego
Mark Stuart, President & CEO, The San Diego Foundation
Nathan Fletcher, County of San Diego Supervisor, District 4
Chris Ward, City of San Diego Councilmember, District 3
Chris Cate, City of San Diego Councilmember, District 6
Nick Macchione, Agency Director, County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency
Bob Cote, Business Relations Director, Better Business Bureau – Pacific Southwest

When

November 15, 2019

Time

10:00am – Refreshments and Tours
10:15am – Welcome Remarks from San Diego Leaders
10:30am – Ribbon Cutting and Photos
10:45am – Center open for photos/videos

Where

SAY San Diego Early Childhood Center, 4775 Viewridge Avenue, San Diego, CA 92123

Visuals

Infant care center (infants may be on site and likely sleeping)
Access to preschool classroom and playground (preschoolers engaged in activities)
Staff tours & parent interviews
*Pre-event tours and interviews available on request

Photos

High Resolution Photos available on request

Contact

Suzie Colby at suzie@saysandiego.org or 760.237.8118

Students from SAY San Diego’s Club ELEVATED at Serra High School worked alongside law enforcement to collect expired and unused medication during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. NBC 7 covered the event.

View News Story

The City of San Diego updated its Social Host Ordinance law to include marijuana and other drugs in addition to alcohol. SAY San Diego’s Lisa Bridges, Program Manager with the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Prevention program, spoke to NBC 7’s Danny Freeman.

Click here to view

ABC 10 News reporter, Jeff Lasky, visited SAY San Diego’s Jerabek Preschool and spoke with CEO, Nancy Gannon Hornberger, about our plan to open a workplace Early Childhood Center. Thanks to a generous grant from the Guy C. Clum Fund at The San Diego Foundation, the Early Childhood Center will serve as a model to local employers to inform and encourage them to develop child-care centers at their own workplaces.

Click here to view the 10 News story

This week, The San Diego Foundation received $13.8 million from local philanthropist Guy C. Clum to make preschool financially accessible to more San Diego families. SAY San Diego is thrilled to be one of four organizations selected for the initial phase of grant-making and received $500,000 to launch a workplace-based early childhood center, set to open in early 2019, at its new office in Kearny Mesa. The center will provide an important early childhood education advantage to children ages 5 weeks through 5 years. The center will also be a model for local employers, to inform and encourage them to develop child-care centers at their own workplaces. The center and workplace child care project are key parts of SAY San Diego’s commitment to improve child development outcomes and strengthen families. “This generous grant enables SAY San Diego to take a truly exciting step, which directly translates into life-changing opportunities and greater educational equity for more San Diego children and families,” says Nancy Gannon Hornberger, SAY San Diego CEO. “We are honored by this wonderful gift, and Mr. Clum’s leadership.”

CLICK HERE to read more from the San Diego Union Tribune.

CLICK HERE to read more from Philanthropy News Digest