There is a new resource for childcare in Connecticut, but this center is specifically for teen students who are also parents.
Hartford Public schools just opened the space called Little Owls Childcare. Two young kids are already receiving care there.
With bright colors, soft cribs, games and books, the space in Hartford Public High School is reimagined.
“Welcome to our Little Owls Daycare Center,” Flora Padro, Hartford Public High School principal, told a crowd Wednesday.
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The space is transformed into the childcare center.
“I went in the corner, and I took in the space, and I got a little emotional,” Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez, Hartford Public Schools superintendent, said. “It is open. We actually have a five-month-old that is sleeping in the back.”
The childcare service is free to Hartford Public School students who, along with course loads, are also juggling parenthood.
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“When I also think about becoming a teenager, right, becoming a mom, imagine how terrifying that can be. Knowing that there's a space that is safe, and the people that are here without judgment, and full open hearts to support and provide care,” Torres-Rodriguez said.
Right now, the school district serves 42 parents. Up to 18 of their babies and toddlers can spend their days in the cheerful center.
“So that they can return to high school themselves and complete their goal of graduating high school,” Lore Minich, director of early childhood and Hartford Pre-K Magnet School, said.
District social workers are on hand. There are academic, financial, logistical and emotional resources available.
“We know of a young parent that will be part of Little Owls that was considered chronically absent,” Torres-Rodriguez said. “The barrier was just that lack of access to reliable childcare. That student is coming to school now every single day.”
A program that aims to meet a need, and help students pave paths to their futures.
“So that their mothers can continue to pursue their dreams and reach the academic success that we know, we know, that they are so capable of achieving,” Torres-Rodriguez said.
Hartford Public Schools is also providing transportation for the teen parents and their kids to the Little Owls Childcare Center.
