El Buen Pastor Early Childhood Development Center

El Buen Pastor E.C.D.C. serves the working poor - those who are employed but need help accessing quality and affordable childcare. 88% of the Center's clients fall within 150% of the federal poverty guidelines, and the Center provides childcare to this population at rates well below the market rates. Single parents head 68% of these families and 90% of the children come from a Hispanic background. Situated in central east Austin, El Buen Pastor Early Childhood Development Center is a community based child development center whose mission is to meet the needs of the entire family through empowerment and community participation. The Center recruits volunteers, staff, and board members who live in the central east Austin area and who are representative of the community the Center serves. Through this collection of bicultural and bilingual individuals, the Center is able to provide a stimulating environment that helps children develop to the best of their abilities while also ensuring parents they have left their children in safety. Today, El Buen Pastor E.C.D.C. provides preschool and school-aged children with educational activities, instructional programs, and nutritional meals at a cost well below market rates. At the Center, children are taught activities that promote participation in projects that encourage them to use their creative energies, obtain important social skills, and enhance their learning capabilities.