[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 8141-8142]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               OPENING OF THE MOTHER HALE LEARNING CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 12, 2006

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the significance 
of the Mother Hale Learning Center by entering into the record an 
article from the New York CaribNews that celebrates the official 
opening of the MHLC in Harlem, New York.
  Clara Hale, best known as ``Mother Hale,'' was a prominent 
philanthropist, social activist and child care worker who founded Hale 
House in New York City and created a sanctuary for drug-addicted and 
AIDS-infected infants and their mothers.
  As a foster care parent in 1940, Mother Hale provided a home to over 
40 children of all ethnic and religious backgrounds over the next 25 
years. As problems associated with drug abuse exploded in Harlem, 
Mother Hale expanded her home for infants addicted before birth. It was 
the first--and only known program--in the U.S. designed to deal with 
infants born addicted to illegal drugs.
  Clara Hale was a rare individual who devoted her life to caring for 
over 800 unwanted children. She left her loving imprint on the lives of 
thousands. When Mother Hale passed away in December, 1992, her 
daughter, Lorraine Hale carried on her mother's mission.
  The Mother Hale Learning Center is an expansion of the work Hale 
House does through its residential programs. It also allows for 
affordable childcare to the Harlem community.
  This dedication of the Mother Hale Learning Center, as detailed in 
the attached article, is recognized as the perfect present to honor the 
legacy of Mother Clara Hale.
  Mr. Speaker: I congratulate everyone associated with this notable 
community resource expansion known as the Mother Hale Learning Center. 
This center is truly a testament to the life work of Clara Hale.

 Deputy Mayor & Children's Character Clifford The Big Red Dog Join In 
                  Opening Mother Hale Learning Center

       New York, NY.--Dennis Walcott, Deputy Mayor for Education 
     and Community Development and beloved children's character 
     Clifford The Big Red Dog, recently joined Zachary Carter, 
     Hale House Chairman of the Board, and Randolph McLaughlin, 
     Executive Director of Hale House, civic leaders, parents and 
     children to officially open the Mother Hale Learning Center 
     (MHLC), located at 300 Manhattan Avenue in Harlem.
       ``The opening of the Mother Hale Learning Center is a 
     natural expansion of the work Hale House does through its 
     residential programs and gives us the opportunity to provide 
     educational and affordable childcare to the community-at-
     Iarge,'' said Mr. McLaughlin. ``It also is the perfect 
     present to honor the legacy of Mother Hale, who would have 
     been 101 on April 1st.''
       Following the opening ceremony, attendees were led on a 
     tour of the facilities and Deputy Mayor Walcott and Clifford 
     The Big Red Dog greeted the excited children.
       MHLC offers high-quality, yet affordable educational 
     childcare for infants, toddlers and preschoolers of families 
     in the community. Classes are led by the Center's experienced 
     and highly trained childcare staff, who create an atmosphere 
     that is caring, nurturing and supportive to each child's 
     educational needs. Adhering to the standards of excellence 
     set forth by the National Association for the Education of 
     Young Children, the curriculum is designed to foster the 
     growth of each child by focusing on social, emotional, 
     physical and cognitive development.
       There are classrooms for each age group, each with a daily 
     curriculum and activities specifically designed for that 
     particular group, including: Infants (6 weeks to 1 year old) 
     curriculum which utilizes tactile toys and stimulating 
     activities to help infants gain awareness of their senses; 
     Young Toddlers (1 to 2 years old) and Older Toddlers (2 to 3 
     years old) curriculum which focuses on building language, 
     creativity, motor skills and social interaction to help 
     children process the new and exciting things they discover 
     each day; and Preschoolers (3 years old to their 5th 
     birthday) curriculum which provides hands-on learning 
     experiences that foster independent thinking and self-
     expression, and daily group activities that help enhance 
     cognitive and social skills to prepare children for 
     kindergarten.
       As one of the few educational programs in Harlem that works 
     with both infants and toddlers, the fully secured facility 
     can accommodate up to 38 children and is open Monday through 
     Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. It also features a computer 
     room with three child-friendly computer stations--donated by 
     I.B.M. and United Way--a sleep room for the infants, as well 
     as an outdoor recreation courtyard. The Center will also 
     provide parent workshops, a resource library and referrals to 
     other appropriate services.

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