Outgoing District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí cuts the ribbon at the neighborhood's newest child development center. | Anne Marie Kristoff/Ingleside Light
Community members, city officials and nonprofit professionals gathered Wednesday at the Kapuso at the Upper Yard for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Villa de Kapuso, YMCA of San Francisco's newest child development center.
District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí, San Francisco’s Department of Early Childhood Executive Director Ingrid Mezquita, CEO of the YMCA of San Francisco Jamie Bruning-Miles and others were on hand to celebrate the new tenant of the affordable housing project Kapuso at the Upper Yard.
Villa de Kapuso fulfills a need for childcare facilities in the area. VDK is also among the YMCA’s five child development centers including the Lutheran Church of Our Savior Preschool located on Garfield Street in the neighborhood and is under the Mission YMCA branch.
“Every single development we've done in this district we've made sure to have child care,” Safaí said. “We have the largest number of early child care providers both private, the family child care providers, and institutions like the YMCA. The Y immediately stepped up and we've created this wonderful space for our kids — and that means so much.”
YMCA’s new facility offers a Reggio-Emilia, nature-based and science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics curriculum as part of their early childhood education program for children three months to five years old. Types of activities available range from finger and brush painting and kinetic sand exploration to beading patterns and seed planting.
Inside are three dedicated classrooms for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Each has supplies and structures such as rugs, books and tables but are also named after the words “little hearts” in Spanish, Chinese and Arabic. Lining the hallways are also built-in benches with top-facing cutouts for additional play as well as real planted greenery on the opposite ends.
The facility has one outdoor playground equipped with a slide, a book reading nook, a grass turf hill with rock climbing features and sandboxes surrounded by vertical fencing that can rotate from open to close for privacy.
“The teachers are warm and engaged, and it's very accommodating,” said Lauren Turon, whose two children have been attending VDK since July. “My kids run in the door when I drop them off.”
Though VDK has been open since June, YMCA Executive Director of Early Childhood Education Programs Anne Senores said that roughly 35 of its 50 slots have been filled and wants more parents and caretakers to bring their children.
“As we open the doors to Villa de Kapuso, we are embracing our responsibility to provide a safe, nurturing space, where children can learn, play and thrive,” Senores said.
Villa de Kapuso Child Development Center
Address: 2350 San Jose Ave. Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Phone: 415-586-6900 Visit Website
Anne Marie Kristoff (she/her) is a recent graduate from San Francisco State University's journalism program. She enjoys writing about the arts, entertainment and nature.
Anne Marie Kristoff
