ELPM
Study after study has shown that a strong focus on quality education for children under five has produced long term benefits, especially for at-risk children.  Providing access to high quality facilities is a key ingredient for delivering successful, nurturing early childhood care.  Since its inception in 1999, Early Learning Property Management (ELPM) has become a leader in addressing the lack of high quality early learning facilities, age birth to 5 years old, in Metro Atlanta.  Over the past 9 years, ELPM has purchased, renovated or constructed 11 high quality early learning centers serving 10,500+ young children and their families in licensed, NAEYC accredited, or equivalent, facilities.  

The scope of ELPMs services include working with a pre-qualified non-profit provider, partnering to implement a fund raising program, building and/or renovating the facility according to all governing standards, and, when applicable, offering affordable long-term leases at below market rates.  Under the leasing terms, ELPM will provide many of the on-going maintenance services, which allows the provider to concentrate its efforts on the development of the children rather than dealing with facility issues. When long term lease options are not applicable, ELPM offers a smooth transition of project ownership upon the purchase of the facility at construction completion.

ELPM centers also facilitate community collaboration with parents, local health care practitioners, local school systems, neighborhoods and community outreach programs.   Additionally, these facilities have a positive economic impact on the community at large by providing full time employment, childcare programs, health awareness and outreach programs such as job training, computer literacy, and English as a second language.
 
To address teacher training, ELPM initiated discussions with the Board of Regents and DTAE to help link colleges with local high quality early learning centers to incorporate teaching labs into their early learning degree programs.  Since completing the D. Scott Hudgens Early Learning Center located on the Gwinnett Technical Campus, ELPM has embarked on initial discussions with the Bagwell College of Education at Kennesaw State University to construct a high quality early education facility on their campus.  With the Board of Regents approval of a four year degree program for teachers in the birth through four year old age group, other technical colleges will be allowed to articulate into the KSU program, thereby enabling graduates to continue their education at KSU and obtain a four year degree.  

As well, ELPM is currently underway with several partnership discussions for additional high quality early learning centers throughout metro Atlanta which will serve an additional 700+ young children, their families and their communities.  Smart Start Georgia is a significant supporter of this major construction campaign, along with several other foundations.

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Click here to download the ELPM quarterly newsletter.

For more information on ELPM please visit www.elpm.org or contact Kara Portnell at 404.634.4049 or kportnell@elpm.org.

For information about The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), including upcoming events and conferences, please visit: http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/naeyc/issues/2009-08-10.html