ChildRoots will be opening a new Center location in April.  ChildRoots NW is located at 1740 NW Flanders on the corner of NW 18^th and NW Flanders, in the Pearl District.  The Center is a 9,000 square-foot-space comprised of nine classrooms, with a total capacity for 110 children.

The space was formally a Children’s Creative Learning Center (CCLC) child care, (KinderCare). Because this space was previously home to another child care center, the remodel efforts and structural changes will be minimal.

We will spend the next few months focusing on set-up and design of the new Center. This space will feature a nice-sized outdoor area for play and its very own parking lot. We will also have an art and a science lab at this new location.

We have begun actively enrolling at this new site and we will be hiring a total of 35 new teachers to help run this program.

Our Preschool Director Beverly will be leaving our school to become Administrative Director of ChildRoots NW. Although we realize this is very sad news for our Preschool team (children and families included), this is a wonderful opportunity for Beverly, who has certainly proved to be an extraordinary leader and administrator in her current role. We will begin our search for a new Preschool Specialist to replace Beverly this week. For those of you in our Preschool program, look for more details about Beverly’s departure and plans for her replacement in coming weeks.  Don’t worry, she won’t be leaving you right away!

Christina will continue to work at our main Burnside site but she will move her office to the new location. Renee will remain at the helm here at our main location. Our Infant Specialist Jessica and our Toddler Specialist Ethan will also remain here at our main location.

We will begin “hard hat tours” of ChildRoots NW in the next few weeks. If you know anyone who might be interested in enrolling at this new space, please contact christina@childroots.com to set up a tour.

Metro Regional Government launched a new page within its existing web site on November 3, 2011, that focuses on sustainability and child care centers.   In addition to providing information on green cleaning and how to safely use sanitizers and disinfectants in a Center, it has also selected three model Centers/schools in the region to highlight for their leadership in sustainability and best practices.  We are honored to announce that ChildRoots has been selected as one of the three model Centers in the region!

Here’s the link to Metro’s main “Green Child Care” page:
www.oregonmetro.gov/childcare

Here’s the link to Metro’s featured “Child Care Centers” page:
http://www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=38689

It’s an honor to be recognized for something that we believe is a core value at ChildRoots!

Toxics-free child care: featured facilities

Hear from local child care providers that took simple steps to reduce the use of toxic cleaners, helping kids and the environment.

ChildRoots, A Center for Young Children

Southeast Portland

ChildRoots, A Center for Young Children makes sustainability part of everyday business. The noticeable absence of plastic and disposable products. The use of natural materials blending seamlessly with a color palette that brings the outside in. Upon entering the southeast Portland child care center, it’s clear things are a little different here.

Executive Director Christina Unga considers health and environment when making purchasing choices for ChildRoots. Materials are chosen for their safety and life span, with preference for items that can be repaired and reused. The center has had the benefit of being designed from the ground up with safer building materials and a ventilation system that keeps air fresh. Beyond the built environment, ChildRoots also works to keep toxins out of its cleaning products, personal care products, art supplies and food.

Unga has learned to be more environmentally savvy by researching, “asking lots of questions” and hearing from inquiring and informed parents, many of whom chose ChildRoots for its environmental commitment. She admits it can cost more to be eco-friendly but notes, “Not every green choice comes with a higher price tag. When we find ways to reuse items or to eliminate waste, we are saving money.”

Through simple cost-cutting steps such as replacing paper hand towels with T-shirt scraps, using chalkboards instead of paper and markers and sourcing the nonprofit School and Community Reuse Action Project for art supplies, Unga has kept costs down while finding new ways to make ChildRoots environmentally sustainable.

read the full article here