“We’re thrilled about what this new facility means to the children and families of Delaware,” commented Kirsten Olson, CEO of Children & Families First during their Open House & Ribbon Cutting celebration held on Thursday, September 22nd, 2022.
One of Delaware’s oldest and most trusted non-profit leaders in meeting the needs of children and families, Children & Families First has experienced exponential growth in the past two years – expanding in-school supports to help school aged children overcome the traumas of the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming the permanent five-year grant managers of the Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Kent and Sussex counties, and more. The new facility, located at 555 Justison Street, Wilmington will become the cornerstone of the organization’s operations.
With continued growth and increased need for services on the horizon, the new facility was purposefully designed to meet the needs of the organization’s hybrid on-site/work-from-home/community services model. Featuring collaborative meeting spaces, drop in workstations, state of the art technology and video conferencing capabilities, abundant accessible parking, and reliable access to public transportation Olson shared excitement for the future, “We’ve held a vision of our new headquarters for a long time and like everyone else the pandemic vastly impacted the way we work and provide services. Standing here today, I know this is going to be a very special building, one that benefits the quality of care our award-winning team provides."
Guests of the Open House & Ribbon Cutting Celebration included speakers - First Lady of Delaware, Tracey Quillen Carney; Senator Elizabeth "Tizzy" Lockman; Wilmington Mayor, Mike Purzycki; Riverfront Development Corporation, Executive Director, Megan McGlinchey; and Delaware Small Business Chamber President, Bob Older. “It meant so much to us to have our board members, staff, community partners, friends, family, supporters, and advocates make time in their day to recognize the importance of this milestone for Children & Families First,” remarked Laura Bartus, Communications & Engagement Manger, “Then there was the abundance of well wishes and support that continued to flow all day with calls and emails from those who couldn't be with us - for which we could not be more grateful.”
In addition to the new Wilmington headquarters, Children & Families First has administrative offices in Dover, Georgetown, and Milton.