History

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child… African proverb

It all started with a community need...

In 1981, a group of people affiliated with the League of United Latin American Council (LULAC) members in New Haven, CT met because they believed there was a need for a bilingual childcare program in New Haven’s Hispanic community. The names of the council’s members were Marta Chavez, Ana Lopez, Carmen Rodriguez, Ana Rodriguez, Sonia Caban-Ceballos, Maria Sestito and Ismael Chavez. On September 7, 1983, two bilingual early education centers were opened: one in the Hill neighborhood’s First Star of Jacob basement, located at 506 Howard Avenue and one at Fair Haven’s Centro San Jose, located at 290 Grand Ave. The First Star of Jacob location served 45 children while the Centro San Jose served 30 children.

This program has grown significantly over the years and accomplished many achievements along the way.

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LULAC OVER THE YEARS

1983

Opened 1st two centers; Faye Miller Center and Mill River Center

1991

MRC became a licensed child care center

1994

MRC became NAEYC accredited

1997

Faye Miller Center became NAEYC accredited

2001

Faye Miller Center became a child care center

2014

Became a New Haven Grantee for the Early Head Start Childcare Partnership Federal Grant

2015

Opened a new center at the Poly T. McCabe School in partnership with the New Haven Board of Education

2016

Opened a new center in East Haven for Early Head Start at the Overbrook Preschool in partnership with the East Haven Board of Education

2019

Awarded Federal Grant for the New Haven service area, becoming a Head Start grantee for Head Start and Early Head Start grants