Pew Charitable Trusts Grant

The Pew Charitable Trusts has provided grants of more than $600,000 to KenCrest for the Emotional Wellness and Trauma Smart projects. Since 2010, these projects have helped to reduce challenging behaviors and trauma in over 400 young children, while increasing their resiliency. The projects have also provided coping strategies and trauma-informed training for 80 classroom teachers and more than 750 families each year.

Our seven Philadelphia Early Learning Centers are located in areas where low-income families live in difficult social conditions with exposure to violence. In a survey of local pediatricians, 99% indicated that they see children ages five and under who experience social and emotional difficulties. Trauma or stress in children can manifest as behavior problems including aggression, verbal abuse, and withdrawal. In Pennsylvania, 71% of child care providers report expelling or threatening to expel children due to behavior problems. KenCrest does not expel children, as that does not solve problems that are likely to continue through the early grades and beyond.

The Fund for Quality Grant

The Fund for Quality has provided grants of over $400,000 for renovations at our North, Northeast, and West Philadelphia Early Learning Centers. The grants have helped us to expand the centers and serve more young children. The Philadelphia Child Care Facilities Fund has also given grants totaling more than $90,000 for new lights, playground renovations at our South Center, and classroom bathrooms at our Northeast and Lehigh Centers (especially important for Pre-K children). We are grateful for all of the grants that improve the quality of our Early Learning programs.

United Way

The United Way of Southeastern PA & NJ has generously contributed to the KenCrest Early Learning Centers, funding a variety of projects at our many locations through the Success By 6® program.

Success By 6 is identified with a community’s activities, undertaken to ensure that children under the age of six enter school prepared to be successful throughout the years that follow. The United Way spearheads this initiative as a neutral convener in the community, capable of bringing business and civic representatives to the table as powerful friends of children.

Volunteers

From painting and planting to reading and singing! Our volunteers provide much-needed support that our centers and children rely on year round.

Do you have a special talent or does your place of employment have a group with a desire to support children? We accept volunteers all year long, based on availability. We also have formal volunteer periods, such as the Week of the Young Child in April and #GivingTuesday in November.

See how volunteers from PNC Bank helped children from KenCrest’s Early Learning Centers to create “Little Libraries” for the community to enjoy in this short video clip from ABC6 in Philadelphia!

Submit your information on our Volunteer page to get started!