Young At-Risk Students Get a Chance at a Level Playing Field

Lucas Villeneuva, 2, sat on the floor of ’s new Judy Center Wednesday morning among foam cutout mats struggling to put the foam wheel of a car back into place.

“I can’t,” he said in frustration.

“Yes you can,” said Nancy Cahlink-Seidler, family service coordinator for the Judy Center—the first in the county—as she sat down on the floor to help Lucas.

Together they figured out where the round piece of foam belonged.

“Yes! Give me five. That’s awesome, I’m so proud of you,” Cahlink-Seidler said once Lucas successfully placed the tire on the car-shaped foam cutout.

Lucas is one of the children who will benefit from the Glen Burnie school’s new Judy Center, which focuses on providing a comprehensive set of services for at-risk children from birth through age 5.

“Working with children from birth to kindergarten ensures that they get a [great] start in school, especially when they come from disadvantaged homes,” said Cheryl De Atley, Judy Center partnerships specialist for the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).

About 70 percent of the 540 students at Hilltop, a Title I school, receive free and reduced lunch, said principal Louise E. DeJesu.

Parents and school system dignitaries gathered in the Hilltop cafeteria Wednesday to celebrate the opening of the Judy Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The mission of the Judy Center is to ensure that all children are ready for school by the time they reach kindergarten. The center provides access to early childhood education and family support programs located at or near Title I schools, according to the Judy Center Web site. Judy Centers are unique because they promote school readiness through collaboration with community-based agencies, organizations and businesses, according to the Web site.

“All of the services for children are located in one spot,” DeJesu said. “We’re getting them ready for school and leveling the [playing] field for everyone.”

Family support services offered by the center include parent education, service coordination to help families access educational, medical and social services, adult literacy classes and early intervention services including infants and toddlers programs.

“When our kids walk up to their play group it’s almost like those 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds are going to school,” DeJesu said. “They’ve never had that before because they surely couldn’t afford it.”

The county received a $322,000 grant from MSDE to fund Hilltop’s Judy Center, said Anne Arundel County Schools Superintendent Kevin M. Maxwell.

“We provided the school, but [MSDE] provided the funding to make this happen for us,” he said.

Judy Centers have been established across the state over the past 10 years. The centers are named in honor of Judith P. Hoyer, an early-childhood education advocate in Prince George’s County and the late wife of Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD).

All of the programs, services and activities offered are free or provided at a low cost. For more information on the Judy Center at Hilltop, call 410-562-1606.