GSE Staff Works to Make 'Our Place' Their Own

By Karen Wood

Special to the Gazette

A typical day for some homeless children in Cambridge and Somerville might start by being dressed at their shelter or transitional housing unit by their mother or other caretaker and dropped off at the Our Place Child Care Center in Central Square. There, the children are fed breakfast, lunch, and snacks, and given a stable environment where they can grow and learn while their parents go for training or job interviews and search for housing. For many of the children, the center, run by the Salvation Army, may be the only stability they will have at this stressful time in their lives.

Staff at the Graduate School of Education (GSE) found out about the center about five years ago when they were planning their annual holiday party. The Staff Advisory Committee to the Administrative Dean (SACAD) -- made up of 15 exempt and nonexempt staff members -- wanted to give something back to the local community that had a direct, personal impact.

When Our Place was mentioned as a worthy cause, the committee eagerly "adopted" the center, and individual staff members at GSE have been generously supporting the center ever since, at holiday parties, and at the End of Year Picnic, where they raffle off prizes donated by local businesses. In 1995, $1,800 was raised for Our Place; altogether, they have contributed more than $4,500.

Contributions from GSE staff helped Our Place build its playground. The center, which served almost 100 children in the past year, has a capacity of 26 children at any one time, ages 4 months to 6 years old. The center has infant, toddler, and pre-school rooms, and is open Monday through Friday, 52 weeks a year, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The center also employs a parent advocate who works to support homeless parents in their efforts to stabilize their families. The goal is to enable parents to break the cycle of homelessness. Even after the parent has found housing and a job, the center allows the children to remain there for up to six months as they adjust to the new situation.

Run by Marcia Boston, the center is currently working toward accreditation from the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs, and is trying to get funding to build low-lying climbing structures in its infant room, a low loft (or "privacy nook") in the toddler room, and a kitchen. Private donations are always welcome. For more information, call Mary Straub, co-chair for SACAD, at 495-9021.