$1 Million Grant Will Fund New Preschool
Many young couples need childcare so they can work. Yet, parents need a job so they can afford childcare, which can prove costly. It’s a dilemma that families struggle with daily and a problem The Hub OC is looking to solve with a $1 million grant and the generosity of their partners.
The Samueli Foundation, headed by philanthropists Henry and Susan Samueli, recently awarded a generous seven-figure grant to The Hub OC that will enable the organization to better serve families in Orange through a new preschool and childcare center.
The Foundation initially an $85,000 Breakaway Grant last year to cover design, legal and architectural that enabled The Hub OC to kickstart construction on the building, located on Almond Street across from the church, which is part of a proposed larger multi-use community center.
The news of a $1 million grant from the Samueli Foundation came in a phone call on July 9.
Cameron Geringer-Pate, director of grants and strategic partnerships at The Hub OC, said they hope to open the preschool by June 2027. The preschool will feature separate age-appropriate areas, welcome space, snack area and a playground.
“We want to be the best program out there that serves everybody,” Geringer-Pate said.
Geringer-Pate noted that between the 55 and 57 freeways, there are 500 licensed childcare spaces, places that include private and in-home daycares. But with more than 2,300 children aged 0 to 5 in the area, that means only one out of every seven children have a spot.
Those numbers first drew the attention of First 5 California, which funds programs that support early childhood development.
“The Hub wants to be a place that says yes, we want to be the one that. We want to show up for people. If there's a need here, we want to serve it,” Geringer-Pate said.
The Hub OC president Holliday Zimmerman and her staff recognized a growing need for more family-oriented services as more families visited the Hub Resource Center. They quickly went to work, figuring out how to reach those families.
The Hub OC first launched a co-op program designed for families in 2023 with the help of First 5 and the North Orange County Public Safety Collaborative at
Friends Church Orange, a program where parents could volunteer houses instead of paying for childcare.
As the program grew, Zimmerman and Geringer-Pate realized they needed to move into licensing and a dedicated space. The $1 million grant will allow them to realize their dream.
Read more about The Hub OC's vision by clicking below.
