Educational Facilities

Early Childhood Facilities

Quality early care and education is a proven means for preparing children for future academic success and a necessity for working parents. Yet virtually every low-income neighborhood lacks an adequate supply of quality child care facilities.

On September 24, 2009, a crowd of students, parents, teachers, funders and civic leaders gathered to cut the ribbon on Vailsburg Center Child Development Center at Ivy Hill, a 14-classroom, 26,000 square feet preschool facility.  Located in the Ivy Hill neighborhood of Newark, Vailsburg Center opened its doors to begin the 2009/2010 school year with 210 children enrolled between the ages of three and four.  United Vailsburg Services Organization (UVSO), a Newark-based human services and community development agency, developed and now operates the Vailsburg Child Development Center.

LISC is one of three community development loan providers that supported the $5.1 million project.  LISC provided a $1.3 million construction loan, a $49,317 predevelopment loan, and a $48,000 recoverable grant for this project.  Greater Newark & Jersery City LISC worked closely with LISC's national child care facility program Community Investment Collaborative for Kids (CICK) to provide the financial and technical assistance to UVSO for the school.