Support our vision for the future!

While the majority of the programs are home we still have one program to get back home. Our Early Childhood Education Program is still off site until the completion of Phase 2 of the Expansion & Renovation Project. In Phase 1 we completed the grading, underground and utility work for the new Early Education Center. Phase 2 will consist of the actual construction of the building. The building will also consist of two low income units on the second floor. Each unit has 2 bedrooms with an additional room that can flex to either unit depending on the needs of the families.

The new Downtown Children’s Center will more then double our Childcare capacity. This will help approximately 40 of the 800 children on the waiting list get into quality early education and family literacy services. The new Downtown Children’s Center will have a separate classrooms for toddlers and preschoolers. This allows developmentally appropriate curriculum for both age groups. One of the best features of the new school is the teaching kitchen in the preschool. This provides the children with the opportunity to participate in nutrition and cooking learning activities.

The natural “playscape” consisting of a landscape maze, edible landscaping, multiple play surfaces, and heritage trees allows children to play and explore nature using all their senses. The family literacy & resource room, located in between the classrooms, will be space for families to grow together, offering computers, books, and other family literacy materials. This will allow parents to work on their own educational goals while their children attend the downtown children’s center. The second floor of the new downtown Children’s Center will have 2 low income units on the second floor. These units, in conjunction with local bank savings programs, will help families save money for the down payment on their own home.

Construction of the new Downtown Children’s Center will begin when 50% of the $1,600,000 cost has been raised. Once started, construction will only take 10 months since many of the time consuming elements were completed in Phase 1.

To contribute to the project simply go to our website www.wawc.org and click on donate now.

Downtown Children’s Center

The new Downtown Children’s Center and Family Literacy Center has been completed.  The second floor offers affordable housing for childcare staff. We are also renovating our historical building, adding an elevator to make the second floor accessible and increasing space for our comprehensive programs.

Downtown Children's Center

• 2 classrooms- our capacity will be doubled from 16 to 32 children, giving families on our waiting list access to quality childcare.
• separate spaces for toddlers and preschoolers- separate classrooms and playgrounds will offer developmentally appropriate learning.
• Family Literacy Center- the central area of the new building will be a new space for families to grow together, offering computers, books, and other family literacy materials.
• Director’s office next to toddler classroom- the director will be more accessible to parents, teachers, and children and will be able to monitor classroom activities.
• Kitchen with open window bar to preschool classroom- this will allow the cook to interact with the preschoolers in a kitchen-classroom setting, facilitating learning activities for nutrition and cooking.

Affordable Staff Housing

• Teachers on site – we will promote staff retention by helping our dedicated childcare staff afford to live near where they work and save for a first home.
• Conserving Santa Cruz land- we will increase affordable housing without decreasing open land by placing staff housing on the second floor of the new building.

Accessible Space

• New elevator- the large upstairs area of the main building will soon be easily accessible by an elevator.
• New program space- the main building will have new offices and meeting rooms helping us deliver programs to our participants more efficiently.

Environmental Considerations

• Green Building- Our goal is to have the least amount of environmental impact as possible. We are designing, building and supplying the building with recycled materials and using local vendors whenever possible. Our design will also create energy-efficient systems.
• Natural surroundings- children will use touch and smell to explore nature with many plants and organics materials in our new playgrounds.
• Historic integrity- our new look will be in keeping wit the appearance of Walnut Avenue and the downtown area, and has been approved by the Santa Cruz Historic Preservation Commission.

Development Team

Our expansion is possible because of the dedication of our partners.

• ChildCare Ventures
• Boone/Low Architects
• Joni L. Janecki & Assoc., Inc (Landscape Architects)
• Barry Swenson Builder

Together, we strive to create an accessible, high quality setting for families, keeping in harmony with the environment and the historical integrity of Santa Cruz. This collaborative is committed to building a safe place for families to grow together, learn, and thrive.