The Lopez Children’s Center first opened its doors five years ago, and the community is being asked to help celebrate this milestone.

The center is hosting an open house with birthday cake, a yard sale, and entertainment on Saturday, Sept. 6 from noon to 2 p.m.

“The celebration is also to remember all the community support and volunteers” who assisted with getting the children’s center built and serving our island’s kids, said board member Susie Teague.

The Play and Learn (PAL) program serves 47 kids from 37 different families, and the pre-school, which will start up again this fall, is expecting 17 children.

This summer, kids in PAL participated in walks to the beach, the bakery, the post office, and the library, listened to music by a teacher who plays the guitar and sings, went on field trips to local farms, and made new friends with off-island children who visited the center. The children’s center is also a big employer on the island, with 18 teachers plus regular staff, including director Jane Hobbs.

“It takes a village to raise a child, and that’s the philosophy that the children’s center follows. And it takes the community to support the children’s center too,” said Teague. “We don’t really have a lot of regular funding sources, so because we are a non-profit we rely on support from the community. We always apppreciate volunteerism and financial support.”

Lopez Children’s Center is funded by United way, community donations, some state money, and local fundraising, such as the annual Apron Auction, which was held on Aug. 17 and brought in $15,000. “The apron auction is huge for us, as is the Pre-School Bazaar,” said Teague. The children’s center is also soon launching its first mail campaign to raise money.

Teague, who is also the coordinator for Lopez Island Family Resource Center’s Primary Intervention Program at the elementary school and the mentor program, stresses the importance of early childhood education. “Governor Gregoire has a strong focus on early learning, which is a wonderful thing, because that’s where everything starts. The state-wide education campaigns for early childhood education – ‘Birth to Five’ and ‘Born Learning’ – and all the research continue to show that the earlier you start with kids’ education the more successful they will be in life. A recent study documents a return to society of $17 for every $1 invested in high quality early learning.”