Gads Hill Center in Brighton Park will serve as the first of five new early education centers announced in the 2018 budget. The two-story, 18,000 square foot facility will include classrooms, outdoor play space and meeting spaces for adult education programming. The new Gads Hill Center in Brighton Park will support more than 120 children from birth to 5-year-olds and will include three preschool classrooms. This is in addition to the more than 700 children Gads Hill serves in childhood programs on the west and southwest sides of Chicago. The center will also support adult education programs, including English proficiency and GED classes and workforce development training in partnership with Instituto del Progreso Latino (IDPL).

“This early education center is a much needed investment to support families across the Brighton Park community,” said Alderman Raymond Lopez, 15th Ward. The City announced investment in five new, high-quality early education programming sites to support preschool expansion with the 2018 budget. These projects build on investments of both the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to ensure that City-administered programs are high quality and effectively preparing children for success in kindergarten and beyond. “I am proud to work alongside Mayor Emanuel to support and expand access to high quality educational opportunities for early learners across the city,” says Maricela Garcia, Chief Executive Officer of Gads Hill Center. “Expanding service in Brighton Park means more children and families will have the support they need to thrive.” Families can apply for preschool programs through the universal online application. All locations can be found at http://www.chicagoearlylearning.org.