Community Family Center

FAQs

1. What is CFC?
2. What are the services?
3. Where will this facility be?
4. Why do we need the CFC?
5. How CFC benefits families?
6. How CFC benefits the city?
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7. Who are the professionals working with CFC to rebuild the Karger Center?
8. Why rebuild the Karger Center?

9. Will the rebuilt Karger Center be "Green"?
10. Do the child care and school agencies follow a particular educational philosophy?
11. What is the CFC's campaign goal and how is it going to raise these funds?
12. Who are our supporters and what is the current status of the project?

13. Will the new facility be available for use by the public?

1. What is Community Family Center (CFC)?

A non-profit community organization working to renovate the Karger Center to house five existing Highland Park/Highwood child and family services agencies under one roof. The agencies are:

Highland Park/Highwood Home Child Care Association
Family Network, A Family Focus Center
Family Service: Prevention, Education, & Counseling, NFP
Highland Park Community Nursery School and Day Care Center
Tri-Con Child Care Center

These agencies will remain independent organizations after the move into the Karger Center at which time it is contemplated that Tri-Con will merge with Highland Park Community Nursery School and Day Care Center. Collectively, these agencies have provided over 200 years of service to our community.

2. What services will be provided?

Programs will be staffed by bilingual professionals, and a sliding fee scale will be available to all who qualify. The services include:

Licensed infant & toddler childcare
Education (preschool and day care)
Before and after school programs
Summer Camp
Prenatal and Parent Education
Drop-in Center for parents and their children from birth through age three, offering parental support and parental respite
Counseling for individuals, couples, families and groups, and seniors
Referral Services
Community Education Workshops

3. Where will this facility be and how did the CFC secure it?

The Karger Center is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Highland Park. It is close to public transportation, Sunset Park and the Lake County Health Clinic on Green Bay Road, just north of Central Avenue and behind Sunset Foods. Through the foresightedness and generosity of the Highland Park City Council, the CFC has executed a lease with the City for the Karger Center with the provisions of nominal rent, and up to a 40 year term.

4. Why do we need the CFC?

Serving all children of our community is the primary focus of our efforts and resources. Although existing programs offered by our agencies are excellent, most of the facilities in which they operate are in poor condition. Three agencies are in spaces where significant time and resources are often diverted in the face of structural problems (e.g., heating, windows, plumbing, and water seepage). Keeping these spaces licensable comes at a high cost. The landlords who have been providing space, free of charge, for all these years have been the keys to allowing the agencies to exist. Our gratitude to them cannot be overstated. Despite their often heroic commitment, they are not in a position to rectify the facility issues.

In addition, some working parents, who work in our community, do not have access to affordable childcare for their infant and toddler childcare. The CFC childcare agencies have no room to expand to accommodate this age group.

5. How will the CFC benefit the current agencies and the families who use the services?

A newly renovated Karger Center will provide for a state-of-the art environment and additional classrooms, office and meeting spaces. Services will be expanded to provide additional licensed space to serve 8 infants, 12 toddlers, and 24 two year olds, as well as additional space for elementary school children in after school care.

Agencies will cooperate for optimum efficiency and effectiveness in both service delivery and cost savings. Shared areas such as the gross motor rooms, and expanded outdoor playground, conference/meeting space, the kitchen, and staff resource room will be of benefit to all agencies for a one-time construction cost. Multiple service agencies housed at one site will allow clients greater accessibility and convenience.

6. How will the CFC benefit the Cities of Highland Park and Highwood as a whole?

We believe that the CFC can serve as a national model for delivering integrated family support services in an environment that dignifies its clients.

The substantially improved and expanded environment that we will create at the Karger Center will immensely help the teachers and staffs of our agencies to be more effective at providing quality care, and improve parent participation and involvement.

Local business employers and employees will benefit from having quality child care facilities in a centrally located building. School District 112 will benefit from the early childhood education programs. The entire community will benefit from having affordable services available to all who need them.

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7. Who are the professionals working with the CFC to rebuild the Karger Center?

The CFC is fortunate to have retained the services of Holabird & Root as architects. Holabird & Root is over 100 years old and are acknowledged leaders in designing early childhood and family centers such as Concordia University Chicago, Howard Area Community Center, Chicago Commons, and Concordia Avondale Campus. They have a thorough understanding of our needs.

We have also engaged the services of IFF (formerly Illinois Facilities Fund) to be our design, construction and financial advisor. IFF is itself a non-profit organization dedicated to providing these services to non-profit organizations, such as community centers, charter schools and primary health care clinics. They, too, are extremely experienced in advising community organizations similar to the CFC.

8. Why rebuild the Karger Center?

We believe it is cost efficient and environmentally sound to revitalize an existing community asset. This central location of the building will encourage its use and promote the agencies' family focus philosophy.

9. Will the rebuilt Karger Center be "Green"?

Yes. Our plans are to achieve Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification as created by the US Green Building Council (USGBC). This certification is a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. The use of carefully selected material, energy efficiency, water savings, and the overall environmental quality of the building will have a significant impact on maintenance costs upon completion.

We also plan to provide a roof garden to enable the children to grow their own plants and vegetables.

10. Do the child care and school agencies follow a particular educational philosophy?

Highland Park Community Nursery School and Day Care Center and Tri-Con Child Care Center both support the Italian, 'Reggio Emilia' approach to early childhood education. This curriculum is built upon the interests of the children, family and/or community events, and a curiosity about the world in which they live. The physical classroom and building environments are very important elements.

11. What is the CFC's campaign goal and how is it going to raise these funds?

Our campaign goal is $10.5 million which will provide sufficient funds to fully rebuild the Karger Center into a state-of-the-art facility. This goal will provide improved and expanded care and services to all community members regardless of their ability to pay. These funds will be used for construction, furnishings, program and maintenance of the building. This will enable our agencies to remain focused on their missions without having to expand efforts to raise funds to pay for rent and maintenance. These costs will be paid for by the CFC.

The CFC has been dedicated to locating the appropriate site for this project since 2001. Thus far, the CFC has raised and spent nearly $500,000 in the process.

To achieve our campaign goal, we will be approaching private foundations, corporations, individuals, and alumni, as well as seeking federal, state and local funds. We already have commitments for the land and building from the City of Highland Park, pledges from the State of Illinois, Lake County and Moraine Township as well as dedicated board members. We are current in the early stages of a Capital Campaign.

12. Who are our supporters and what is the current status of the project?

This project is endorsed by the Highland Park City Council, the Moraine Township Supervisor, School District 113 and 112 administrators, and elected state officials. We have an active board of directors who volunteer their time and expertise. Over the years many community members have contributed financially and professionally to the effort of exploring sites, and designing a structure that will house five agencies and provide for the synergies of co-location. We have begun the Capital Campaign phase of our project.

13. Will the new facility be available for use by the public?

We anticipate that space within the Center will be available for community meetings and other community activities when not in use by the Agencies.

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