Grand Opening of Helm Home-Play & Learn Center

Fresno Unified School District and the Fresno Housing Authority are opening the Helm Home-Play & Learn Center, with the support of The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The Helm Home-Play & Learn Center provide parents and others who care for children -- relatives, friends, and neighbors -- access to resources and services that will enhance their skills. The goal is to support high quality adult-child interactions so that every child grows up healthy and ready for kindergarten. Resources and services will initially include play and learn groups, book and toy lending library, and informational workshops.

"Fresno Unified couldn't be more pleased to partner with the Fresno Housing Authority to offer services that directly benefit Fresno families," said Superintendent Michael Hanson. "Empowering our parents is just way one we can keep out students on track to graduate college and career ready."

The Helm Home-Play & Learn Center is an outcome of the Packard Foundation's Starting Smart and Strong Initiative. This initiative is making advances in early learning by bringing together public and private supporters to create comprehensive early learning networks.

Fresno Unified School District is one of three California communities chosen by The Packard Foundation to develop and test solutions that support parents, caregivers, and educators, and ultimately expand what works.

Fresno has a significant number of parents and informal child caregivers who are the first ones to shape a child's life. The center will provide tools to parents and informal caregivers to support the child's development every day.