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Children everywhere
deserve to thrive. Yet, there are so many children in this world who are without a family to provide the nurture and
stimulation they need to develop normally during the very formative years. What is lost in developmental achievement
will be difficult, if not impossible, to restore later in life. Thus, the need for early intervention is huge.
Supporting orphanages in developing stimulating learning environments for their children is one of the main thrusts of our
mission statement and what we seek to accomplish as an outreach ministry. Along with other organizations that
share this vision, we continue to work towards giving children in institutional settings what they
need to grow well. Our desire is that none should lose out.
The Sacred Portion Children’s Outreach was instrumental in establishing
a preschool program for the Children’s Shelter of Cebu in Cebu City, Philippines in 1999. We continue to work closely with the Children of Hope
Preschool in the development of appropriate curriculum for the children and make annual trips to Cebu to follow up with the
preschool program.
Toys and equipment were
provided through our organization to transform the play rooms at the Children’s Shelter of Cebu into stimulating
environments for the infants and toddlers. During our trips to Cebu we conduct training
sessions for the caregivers on Active Learning for Infants and Toddlers. We model examples of daily activities
for the children that will foster their development and provide resources for the implementation of the Active Learning Program.
The Sacred Portion Children’s Outreach opened its second preschool program in
2004 on the premises of the Rehoboth Children’s Home in Sampaloc, Philippines. While the first priority of the Rehoboth Early Learning
Center is to provide early education to the children residing at the
shelter, the early learning center is open to admission of a limited number of children
from the local community whose circumstances are such that they
would not otherwise be able to have this experience. SPCO fully equipped the preschool space and sponsored a teacher
to complete a one year course through the Center for Early Childhood Care and Development in Manila.
The preschool teacher also spent a week observing the Children of Hope Preschool in Cebu as a model of what a developmental
preschool program should like look.
The Sacred Portion
Children’s Outreach has
also been involved in the vision of Half the Sky Foundation which has as its mission the creation of early childhood enrichment programs
within China’s orphanages. We traveled to China in July, 2000, as part of a work team, to renovate space
inside an orphanage in preparation for Half the Sky Foundation’s first pilot preschool programs. Through
contributions to our organization, we provided a portion of the educational toys and materials needed for the Little Sisters
pilot preschools and infant nurture programs.
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