Life-changing preschool in Guatemala

The Acorn Childcare Center started as a small idea and grew into a network of support for families facing extreme poverty, nurturing young lives, empowering caregivers, and strengthening the community for two decades. Reaching this milestone is bittersweet, however, as we make heartbreaking but neccessary plans to close the Center this summer. Inflation has become a bigger and bigger challenge every year, and our capacity to raise funds just hasn’t kept pace. We plan to continue to offer care to families through June and to help them make other arrangements so that the children receive as much support as we can provide for as long as possible.

Over years the Center brought so much joy and comfort to young children and their families who needed it most. Former students have been sharing their stories about how the Center impacted their lives. For example:

Luis David enrolled in 2008 when he was just two years old. His younger sister Anita and brother Pablito enrolled in subsequent years. Luis David wrote to us, sharing his favorite photos and fond memories. He said, “[The Center] was a place where I could experience what it means to be a happy child.”

Today, Luis David and Anita are both working as systems engineers and studying law at university. Pabilto is enrolled in high school and their mother has also earned a bachelor’s degree!

In a video message, Abigail, class of 2013 said, “It was more than a nursery for me; it was the place where I grew up, where I made friends and where I began to form my dreams. There I learned to trust myself more and to strive to do things right.” Today Abigail is studying at university to become a primary school teacher.

We are enormously grateful for your generosity and encouragement over the years -- you helped us change the lives of so many and brought us to this incredible milestone. Today, we still need your support so that we can care for families through to the summer and take care of our staff, many of whom have been with us 15+ years and have dedicated so much love and energy to the Center. Thank-you.

Links:

• Read more stories with photos on the blog

Last month we welcomed 5 new students to join the 6 returning students at the Center! The first few weeks at the Center are focused on teaching the children about our resources and routines. The students spend time in each area, learning how to use and care for the books, supplies, and toys available to them. They are also learning the daily routines and expectations for behavior in each area.

Students are given breakfast, healthy snacks and a main meal each day in an environment that nurtures trusting relationships with adults and other children and inspires and supports active learning. We know that each child comes to the Center with a unique experience and understanding of what it means to be a part of a classroom. Focusing on routines and expectations early on, and reinforcing them with prompts and encouragement throughout the school year, creates an environment that feels safe, consistent and caring. Thank you for supporting our mission!

Links:

• View more photos on the blog!