"The magical Children’s Center at OCC was a literal lifesaver for us"

The magical children’s center at Orange Coast College is being gutted… half the center… shut down… infant-3 year old classes… gone. Probably soon to be all of it. And when I say magical, I mean… huge open yards, goats, giant bunnies, giant turtles, chickens, an organic garden, a creek, an adventure playground, and most importantly, has some of the most fantastic and creative teachers ever.

My son, Jaya, was there from 2012-2016 from 14 months to 6 years old… a literal lifesaver for us when I was in college. I even worked there for two years. I could not have made it through college without knowing how safe and loved he was while there. This is heartbreaking news… I heard it from his infant room teacher… an angel on Earth who helped us both transition to daycare during a very hard time in my life. She’s worked there over 30 years. And as of July… her program is gone.

So, my son and I will both be at the board meeting in protest of this nonsense. We were blessed to have the children’s center back then, so we will be there to support it now. March 5th. Let’s do this.

-Jessica, OCC Children's Center Parent, OCC Student

[As originally posted on Preserve The OCC Harry & Grace Steele Children's Center]