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Wheaton, MD 20902

Phone: (301) 754-1801
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Press Release March 30th 2010

Press Release

Wheaton, MD.
March 30, 2010

Centro Familia, a nationally recognized early childhood education and advocacy nonprofit organization based in Wheaton, Maryland, has signed an administrative agreement with Family Services Agency, a century old, renowned organization providing family and early childhood services. Family Services Agency was selected after careful consideration and an agreement signed after months of talks between the two organizations. Their mission and the mission of Centro Familia are aligned concerning the importance of serving children and families.

This agreement will permit Family Services to assist our smaller organization with an infusion of administrative expertise and support. Both organizations are committed to working with children and families to ensure that all children are safe, healthy, and ready to learn when they move to the next level of their education.

Family Services has expressed considerable interested in Centro Familia’s work with home-based childcare, one of the unique features of our organization. These micro-enterprises not only provide sustainable income for the providers, but also allow parents to access affordable, quality childcare so they can work knowing their children are safe.

Centro Familia emphasizes that the reports appearing in the Washington Post on Wednesday, March 31 are absolutely false and unfounded, showing a negative and distorted view of a process initiated by us. The joint venture of Centro Familia and Family Services Agency is a positive strategy to continue and strengthen our programs.

It is important to reassure the community that Montgomery County has not canceled our contracts and Centro Familia is not closing its operation or stopping services. Centro Familia has proposed the idea of obtaining administrative support from a bigger, more experienced organization as Family Services and the County officials overseeing our contracts have accepted the proposal.

The administrative agreement signed between Family Services and Centro Familia allows Family Services lend its experience and administrative capacity in order for Centro Familia, a much smaller nonprofit, to focus on what it does best: offering high quality early care and education services to our community. This agreement is seen as short term, until the end of fiscal year 2010. The possibility of a merger is currently being explored through funding provided by the Cafritz Foundation.

For more information, please contact Ms. Pilar Torres, Executive Director of Centro Familia at: ptorres@centro-familia.org