OKC Educare has the capacity to serve 212 children, ages birth to five years old, who are at-risk for school failure, with year-round early childhood education programs. Educare Schools, throughout the nation, help young children grow up safe, healthy and eager to learn, providing the highest quality outcome-based learning environments for families and their children who are at-risk for school failure.
OKC Educare was created through a partnership among the Inasmuch Foundation, Sunbeam Family Services, Community Action Agency of Oklahoma and Canadian Counties, Oklahoma City Public Schools, and the United Way of Central Oklahoma. Sunbeam is the managing partner. Through this partnership, and generous contributions from the community, we opened Oklahoma City’s first Educare school in July 2009.
Research shows that children in low-income homes start school behind their more affluent peers. Unfortunately, when a child starts behind, they often stay behind. Oklahoma City Educare prepares at-risk children, ages birth to five, to be successful in school and into their adult lives.
OKC Educare is committed to providing the most comprehensive mental health services to infants, young children and families. Components of OKC Educare’s mental health services include traditional Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Play Therapy; Parent-Child Interactive Therapy (PCIT); Parent Education and Support; and extensive training and education for staff, teachers, interns from local universities and community members. This comprehensive mental health model serves as best practice and is cutting edge in the growing national focus on the critical importance of brain development, the impact of trauma and the significance of nurturing, consistent, stable relationships related to healthy social emotional development in infants and young children. This mental health component is something unique to OKC Educare.
OKC Educare follows the Educare model and strives to provide three adults in each of the sixteen classrooms. Small class sizes and high staff to child ratios are maintained in order to provide high quality, individualized care to the children. In addition, every attempt is made to include at least one bilingual teacher in every classroom, in order to better meet the communication needs of Spanish-speaking children and their families.
