Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation Awards $365,000 Grant to Support Early Childhood Education in Delray Beach
TL;DR
The $365,000 DeSantis Foundation grant gives Achievement Centers a strategic advantage in sustaining and expanding their nationally accredited Early Learning Program for underserved children.
The grant supports Achievement Centers' Early Learning Program serving 109 children through 2,485 annual service hours across six developmental domains with 22 credentialed educators and low teacher ratios.
This funding helps break cycles of poverty by providing kindergarten readiness and essential services to underserved families, creating better educational outcomes for future generations.
Achievement Centers serves over 760 children annually while providing 47,000 meals through their Early Learning Program that prepares young learners for academic success.
The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation has awarded a substantial $365,000 grant to Achievement Centers for Children & Families to support its nationally accredited Early Learning Program, marking a significant commitment to early childhood education in southern Palm Beach County. This funding directly supports one of the region's most impactful early education initiatives, serving up to 109 children ages 1 to 5 at the Nancy K. Hurd campus in Delray Beach.
The Early Learning Program delivers more than 2,485 service hours annually through a comprehensive curriculum focused on six essential developmental domains while providing over 47,000 meals each year. The program maintains low teacher-to-child ratios and employs 22 full-time, highly credentialed educators, ensuring children develop the foundational skills needed for kindergarten readiness and lifelong academic success. According to Stephanie Seibel, CEO of Achievement Centers, this support lifts a tremendous burden from the organization, allowing continued delivery of full-day, year-round care while expanding services to meet evolving family needs.
The grant's impact extends beyond immediate program support, enabling staff to focus on program innovation and long-term sustainability with positive effects across afterschool programs, teen initiatives, and family support services. Achievement Centers serves more than 760 children and their families annually, primarily in Delray Beach communities facing systemic barriers including poverty, trauma, and limited access to quality education. With average household income at just $24,592, the Early Learning Program provides an essential lifeline, particularly for working single-parent households and children at risk of educational disadvantage.
Seibel emphasized that the DeSantis Foundation's contribution represents more than financial support, calling it a vote of confidence in the organization's mission and the future of the community's youngest learners. The partnership underscores the transformative power of early education in breaking cycles of poverty and creating pathways to success. For additional information about the organization's programs and services, visit https://www.achievementcentersFL.org.
This strategic investment comes at a critical time when early childhood education programs face increasing pressure to maintain quality standards while serving vulnerable populations. The grant ensures that Achievement Centers can continue its evidence-based approach to early learning, which has demonstrated success in preparing children for academic achievement and social development. The sustained funding allows for program enhancements that address the comprehensive needs of children and families, creating a supportive ecosystem that extends beyond the classroom.
The collaboration between the Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation and Achievement Centers for Children & Families represents a model for effective philanthropic partnership in addressing educational disparities. By targeting resources toward proven early intervention strategies, the investment has the potential to generate long-term benefits for individual children, their families, and the broader community through improved educational outcomes and reduced social service costs over time.
Curated from Citybiz