[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16293]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ORLANDO DAY NURSERY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ALAN GRAYSON

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 28, 2013

  Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the incredible 
contributions of the Orlando Day Nursery.
  Founded in 1921 as an all-volunteer organization, Orlando Day Nursery 
Association, Inc. (ODN) has provided early childhood care and education 
services to working-poor families living in Central Florida for 91 
years. The Nursery has been recognized as the oldest childcare in the 
South Eastern U.S. by Childcare Exchange. President George H.W. Bush 
recognized ODN as the 909th Daily Point of Light Award and America's 
Promise Alliance honored ODN with the Keeping the Promise Award.
  ODN makes a concerted effort at laying a positive foundation for low 
income preschoolers in order to ward off the negative self-concept and 
academic problems these children often face. ODN's HighScope curriculum 
is backed by over forty years of studies proving its effectiveness in 
preparing at-risk children for school and life. Monthly parenting 
classes and family activities organized by ODN help Central Florida 
parents improve their parenting skills and become better equipped to 
fulfill their role as their child's first teacher.
  In order to better care for children outside of the classroom, ODN 
started an afterschool program in 2011 and a tutoring program in 
January of 2012. ODN has also initiated an Early Head Start classroom 
and began offering a transitional kindergarten program for children who 
are five-years-old but not ready for the public school structure.
  ODN partners with many local organizations to meet the needs of its 
students and their families. The University of Central Florida (UCF) 
sends nursing students to help track obesity rates at ODN. UCF's 
Audiology and Speech students also screen all of the children at ODN 
and provide services to children with speech and language delays. The 
Winter Park Day Nursery partners with ODN for staff training and 
curriculum development.
  ODN works hard to keep fees low so that no child is left without 
quality care and early education. ODN provides childcare services for 
the Salvation Army's homeless shelter, Harbor House, and the Coalition 
for the Homeless.
  The Board of Directors of ODN is a committed group of outstanding 
citizens that work to achieve ODN's mission: to develop the whole child 
by providing high-quality, affordable care and early childhood 
education services in the Orlando area. ODN supports the whole family, 
as they are the foundation from which our children develop.
  I am proud to honor the Orlando Day Nursery for all of its 
outstanding accomplishments and its contributions to the Central 
Florida community.

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