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Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins, District 5, was joined by Centro Mater Child Care Center students and staff, and the Miami-Dade County Department of Public Housing and Community Development (PHCD) on July 29 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of resilient building upgrades to the center, including replacing the childcare center’s aging infrastructure with hurricane impact and energy-efficient windows and doors.
The project was funded by Commissioner Higgins who awarded nearly $150,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program funds.
“District 5 is so lucky to have Centro Mater as a community partner and a pillar of our Little Havana neighborhood. They have built a space that provides thousands of kids and families with quality education and the invaluable support they need to succeed,” Commissioner Higgins said. “I’m happy to support this facility by modernizing this wonderful space with new and improved windows and doors making it a safer, more energy-efficient center for all students and staff.”
For over 50 years, Centro Mater has provided the necessary care and protection for South Florida’s growing immigrant youth population. Over time, the center has expanded its reach, from the streets of Little Havana to Hialeah, providing services to Miami-Dade’s underserved neighborhoods where immigrants with socio-economic disadvantages have historically concentrated. Serving over 1,200 children daily, Centro Mater provides quality early-childhood education and social services to low-income families.
“Centro Mater is very grateful to our commissioner for her unconditional support. Having brand new impact windows and doors is not only a great facility improvement but also a peace of mind and great protection during hurricane season. Our families, children, and staff are overjoyed with our new look,” said executive director Madelyn R. Llanes.
Centro Mater offers its services to a diverse community including U.S. citizens and immigrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica, Honduras and El Salvador among others. All students of the program are low-income, with 90 percent living below the federal poverty guidelines.
“PHCD not only supports public and affordable housing throughout our county, but we are also involved in improving lives and communities through programs such as CDBG,” said Michael Liu, director of Miami-Dade County PHCD. “We applaud Commissioner Higgins’ leadership in using CDBG funds to help long-standing community partners such as Centro Mater continue their mission of caring for economically disadvantaged children.”
The Miami-Dade County Department of Public Housing and Community Development (PHCD) administers Miami-Dade County’s CDBG Program. The CDBG program funds are provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and are used to support a wide range of housing and community development projects. The goal of the program is to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and suitable living environments, and expanding economic opportunities, principally for person of low- and moderate-income persons.
