ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Community Services for Children celebrated a large boost on Tuesday.
- Community Services for Children will get $400,000 in state money in Pennsylvania's 2022-23 budget
- The organization provides education and other social services for children who are mostly from low-income families
- CSC gets 90 percent of its money from federal funds.
- Staten. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh made the announcement on his last day in office
The center, which provides early education and other services to kids from mostly low-income families, revealed at a news conference that will get $400,000 from the state government.
"What it means for us is that we're able to provide more for children and families," CSC President Deidra Vachier said. "We're able to fill in the gaps and we're able to provide the experiences that they need to be successful."
Vachier said she is inspired by every child who comes through her center, but there is one story that will always stand out to her.
"We have a child who started with us, his family started with us, in our Early Head Start Safe Start Program, which is a unique therapeutic program for families who have been involved with substance use disorders," Vachier said.
"And that child was able to remain with us from the time he was just a few weeks old until he transitioned to kindergarten."
Vachier said the child's parents now are fully recovered from their addictions, and financially stable — so much so that they have won awards for their parenting, Vachier said. She said the child is doing very well now, too.
"That's just one story, a demonstrable story, of the success that children and families can have when an entire community supports them," she said.
"I decided to end my service here, because, having worked with this organization, and seeing some significant differences in the lives of our youngest children has been the proudest work I've done."State Sen. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh
The funding was announced by state Sen. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh County, on his last day in office.
Browne appeared to be so passionate about the center that he broke down in tears at the podium. Shortly after, a parade of children, wearing train conductor hats and blowing wooden whistles, marched in to thank him — with guidance from the instructors.
Students at Allentown’s Community Services for Children, march in to thank Sen. Pat Browne for securing $400,000 for the Center. When asked, none of the kids said they knew who Sen. Browne was. Though one said she likes him because he likes trains. @LVNewsdotcom pic.twitter.com/BWzSc53h3j
— Julian Abraham (@JulianJAbraham) November 29, 2022
"I decided to end my service here, because, having worked with this organization, and seeing some significant differences in the lives of our youngest children has been the proudest work I've done," he said.
Vachier said the CSC gets the vast majority — 90% — of its funding from the federal government. The rest comes from donors and state funding.
