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Concord Family Center to open Jennings Drive site Jan. 27; district announces two grants to support early learning and adult training
Summary
The Concord Family Center will open a Jennings Drive satellite site Jan. 27 to offer free early‑childhood programming and a food/diaper pantry; the district also announced new grants to support early learning and adult education.
District staff told the board Jan. 6 that the Concord Family Center will open a satellite location at Jennings Drive and host a public ribbon-cutting at 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 27. Erin Kerr, the district’s coordinator for Early Supports and Family Engagement and the district homeless coordinator, outlined the Family Center’s mission and services: free programs for families with children birth through 5, home visiting, transportation and translation supports, and connections with community service partners.
Why it matters: The satellite will place early-childhood support services in a high-need catchment area and add an on-site food and diaper pantry supported by community partners.
Kerr said the Jennings Drive site was secured in partnership with the Concord Housing Authority; the site will include a food pantry run in collaboration with Capital Area Food Access and a diaper pantry supported by Waypoint and Granite United Way. The pantry will offer diapers and food at no cost to families; staff noted a particular need for larger diaper sizes (sizes 5–7).
Julie Day, a longtime family-center participant and community supporter, described the center’s role connecting families to schools and community resources. The board also heard that family-center offerings are present at several elementary schools and at the citywide community center.
At the same meeting the superintendent announced two grants: a $20,000 Healthy Beginnings grant from the Concord Hospital Trust to support early-learning family-center programming, and an $11,000 two‑year integrated education-and-training grant (administered through adult education) designed to provide workplace experiences and credentials to adult learners.
Next steps: The district will hold a ribbon-cutting Jan. 27 and expects to begin regular family-center programming at Jennings Drive thereafter. Staff invited donations of diapers (sizes 5–7) and will coordinate drop-off details.
