Monday, November 4, 2002

EHT Family Center Expands Facility and Services

Recently completed renovations to the Egg Harbor Township Family Center at 3050 Spruce Avenue in Cardiff will provide expanded social services and a new early childhood education center for Atlantic County residents.

According to County Executive Dennis Levinson, the facility received more than $300,000 of renovations and repairs through a grant from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. "Not only have we improved the building," said Levinson, "we have increased the services offered to our residents."

Prior to the renovations, Family Services Association (FSA) occupied the building's first floor from which it operated the Egg Harbor Township Family Center, providing a variety of services for children and families. FSA will now move into the reconstructed second floor area while maintaining partial occupancy of the first floor. This will allow the agency to expand its current services in an effort to help meet the needs of the area's increasing population. These services include youth recreation, community mediation, individual counseling and legal assistance.

FSA will be joined on the first floor by a new Head Start Center operated by Atlantic Human Resources. The Head Start Center will provide 30 children and their families with comprehensive early childhood development and education, and preventative health, mental health and nutrition services.

Citing the importance of these expanded services, Levinson said, "As our community grows, so do the needs of our residents. This newly renovated building will help ensure that our service providers have the necessary facilities to assist those in need."

The public is invited to tour the facility during a grand opening on November 20. Tours of the Head Start Center will be offered from 1:30 to 2:00 PM followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony. Visitors may tour the Family Center from 2:30 to 3:30 PM. For more information, please call Cindy Hamer at 645-7700, ext. 4529 or Ann Edmonds at 645-7700, ext. 4332.

County News