Preschool Program a Family Tradition; Instills Confidence, Love of Reading
To look at Elizabeth Pagan, you would never guess that she is a grandmother. The 44-year old divorced mother of two has taken on the great responsibility of raising her three grandsons: Jaden, 7, Justin, 5 and Jeremy, 4.
“Taking care of children is second nature to me,” said Elizabeth pictured with her grandchildren from left, Justin, Jaden, Jaylin and Jeremy.
Starting with Jaden, Elizabeth has enrolled all of the boys at the Catholic Charities Child Development Center in Waterbury. Currently, 4-year old Jeremy and her granddaughter Jaylin, also 4, attend the pre-school.
According to Elizabeth, who is a teacher’s assistant at the school, her grandchildren have flourished in the program.
“Jaden was very shy in preschool. This program helped him open up and become more outgoing,” she said. “Justin was shy too. He learned to express himself here and he did great when he started kindergarten.”
LitLinks, the Foundation’s early childhood initiative, invested $35,000 in the Catholic Charities Family Service Center which opened in Waterbury last June. In addition to offering quality preschool programs and literacy events at two locations in the city, the Center also offers low-income families mental health services, a pregnancy program, parenting classes, energy and food assistance, and access to a new online benefits registration program which the Foundation also recently funded.
“We helped fund the Center because it provides families access to services which were highlighted in Waterbury’s Bridge To Success plan,” said Carol O’Donnell, CCF associate CEO of the local initiative to better prepare Waterbury’s youth for life.
At preschool, Jeremy and Jaylin have learned to love reading. “The children want to take the books home and act out the stories,” adds Elizabeth. “Jaylin even asks to go to school on the weekends!”
