About the Nonprofit
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BlueSkies for Children is a private, nonprofit 501(c)3 program founded in 1983, providing infant and toddler care and preschool education to children ages . The mission of BlueSkies is to practice and teach an optimal approach to education and care of young children based on the interrelated disciplines of human development. Such an approach sustains and supports today’s children and families and provides an educational center for caregivers and the community. BlueSkies is the only childcare center in Oakland that is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
BlueSkies currently serves a diverse range of children and families in Oakland's Fruitvale District, with nearly half of the student body being children of color, and more than 80% of families residing in the City of Oakland. The history of the organization began years before official incorporation, when the founder ran a center in East Oakland caring primarily for the children of young teen mothers in residence. The center served babies starting life in the most fragile circumstances, lacking financial resources and institutionalized with their teen mothers who needed to learn parenting skills. During the founder’s six-year tenure she developed the philosophical foundation of BlueSkies, blending the nurturing of home with the enrichment of preschool. The program, developed for an extremely underprivileged population and now in place at BlueSkies for children from varied socioeconomic backgrounds, proves that all children thrive when they are given respectful, developmental support by educated, caring adults in a healthy environment.
BlueSkies provides need-based scholarships to 15-20% of its families annually, to ensure its student body remains diverse and representative of the surrounding community. Funds raised through our annual silent auction all go toward the school's scholarship program.
