Union Settlement has provided social services in East Harlem for over 100 years. As a traditional settlement house –– designed to provide public health services, adult education, and childcare programs –– the organization is tasked with delivering community services that support and uplift.
“We are working heavily on another project that was given to us –– enrollment,” said Johnnie Abreu, associate director of Family Services at Union Jefferson, one of the Settlement’s five East Harlem sites. “Enrollment is part of our community outreach, initiatives, and recruitment efforts.”
Abreu and Dr. Patience Oti, the senior executive director of Union Settlement, discussed the early childhood education initiatives at their organizations and new strategies to boost service promotion with the Amsterdam News. “Presently, in these schools, we are at 62% enrollment,” explained Dr. Oti. “And we are pushing to at least get to 75%.”
In 2020, just after the full force of the COVID-19 pandemic hit, enrollment numbers started to decrease. They have stayed low ever since. It doesn’t help that East Harlem also has other early childhood programs available: “If you have a child who is five or six that is going to one school and they afford you an opportunity to bring your three year old to that same place, you would rather go to the place where you can take two of them at the same time, rather than dropping one off here and bringing one back there,” said Dr. Oti. She said many local parents are making this choice: “So, the competition is real.”
Union Settlement’s selling points
But drop-off conveniences don’t always equate to the best service for young children. Union Settlement workers say their program offers selling points that distinguish it from what local public schools can offer. They welcome children from eight weeks to five years old, including toddlers and those in 3-K and Pre-K. They offer entirely free classes, which take place from 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., and serve a nutritionist-approved daily breakfast and lunch.
“We have some great teachers who are certified and who are so dedicated,” said Dr. Oti. “They have longevity: some of them have been with us for 20 years or more. And Union Settlement is known for caring for the people in the community.” Union Settlement works with the NYC Department of Education (DOE) to ensure they have a curriculum that guides students toward meeting specific benchmarks. The Settlement’s programs are also subject to irregular DOE inspections, which guarantee that their files are in order and the programs are working properly.
“The parents,” added Abreu, “some of the parents, some of [whom] are probably now grandparents now, they’ve mentioned to me their success stories. They have talked about the advantages they had because they had their child coming to our early childhood programs. And now they’re picking up their kids and grandkids. So, it’s like a generational thing now: it’s a tremendous asset. It’s a success story right there.”
Preschool programs help development
Beginning in January 2025, Union Settlement Early Childhood Education & Services will be conducting open houses to showcase its preschool programs. Union Settlement has five separate sites across East Harlem: Union Jefferson (2211 First Ave.), Union Johnson (1829 Lexington Ave.), Union Leggett (237 E. 104th St.), Union Franklin (2081 Second Ave.), and Union Carver (1565 Madison Ave.).
Various studies have shown that young children who take part in preschool programs acquire social/emotional and intellectual skills that aid in their development throughout their lifetime.
Families at Union Settlement come from various backgrounds, including new migrants from Africa and Latin America, and African Americans. Through the program’s classes, their children will explore the traditions of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa while engaging in their own cultures and participating in foundational programs for their growth.