Congratuations Class 2023
What a special day and hopefully, a life-lasting memorizing event for the graduates and families! Today is the start of a new chapter in our young children's live as they prepare to go to the 'BIG SCHOOL", as they are promoted to Kindergarten!
Join us in celebrating the retirement of Luz Horta
Ms. Luz N. Horta has been with Better Beginnings for over 45 years, starting as a parent in need of affordable child care and moving up the ranks where she now serves as the Executive Director.
Ms. Luz's steadfast commitment to ensuring excellence in early childhood education and affordable child care has had a profound impact on countless children, who have gone on to become successful and fulfilled adults. Her love and care have been instrumental in guiding these children towards the best possible start in life, laying the foundation for a bright future. With Ms. Luz's guidance, children receive the support and resources needed to thrive and achieve their full potential.
Ms. Luz remains dedicated to fulfilling the agency's vision of offering an affordable and enriched early childhood educational program to the children of working parents, with the goal of fostering strong, healthy, and self-reliant families.
Ms. Luz’s tireless efforts in this regard have been instrumental in securing numerous grants and managing multiple fundraising programs for Better Beginnings, ensuring the ongoing operation of the program and the creation of a sizable reserve fund.
Moreover, Luz played a pivotal role in the center's attainment of a rating from the National Association for the Education of Young Children and a prestige four-star rating from Grow New Jersey Kids, demonstrating her leadership and dedication to maintaining high standards of early childhood education.
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Throughout the years, Ms. Luz has dedicated herself to serving various organizations and committees, including but not limited to:
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United Way of Greater Mercer County Ethnic and Racial Relations Committee
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Mercer County Early Care and Learning Advisory Committee
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Mercer County Human Services Advisory Council as Hightstown-appointed representative
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Latino Advisory Committee to the Superintendent of the East Windsor Regional School District
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Mercer County Council of Young Children as a member
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Affiliations/Past and Present Volunteer Experiences
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Volunteering with the East Windsor Domestic Violence Victim Response Team
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Ms. Luz holds multiple roles in her community. She is the Founder of the Hightstown/East Windsor Chapter of the Latina Women's Council of Mercer County Inc., and a member of the Latino Advisory Committee to the Superintendent of the East Windsor Regional School District. Additionally, she serves as a Translator for the Hightstown Police Department.
Luz has received numerous awards and recognitions over the years, including
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Essence of the Women Award
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the National Parent Leadership Parent Champion Award
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Cherish the Child Award from the Mercer County Hispanic Association
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Mercer County Commission on Abused, Neglected, and Missing.
Luz was featured in the 2021 'Who's Who' list for her notable accomplishments. She is an accomplished poet, and her work titled 'They Are Taking Him Away' was published in the Kelsey Review at Mercer County Community College. Additionally, Luz was invited to participate in an NPR interview conducted by StoryCorps, and she also served as a panelist for the Princeton Area Community Foundation Funds for Women and Girls.
Luz's Retirment Celebration Party
About us
Better Beginnings Child Development Center is a Non-Profit 501-c(3) organization founded in 1967 to provide high quality, affordable child care for working parents in the Hightstown-
East Windsor area of Mercer County, NJ. It has been consistently evaluated as an "excellent and innovative" program by state, county, and peer organizations.
About the Investors Foundation
Investors Bank, headquartered in Short Hills, New Jersey, is a full-service community bank that has been serving customers since 1926. With over $22 billion in assets and a network of more than 150 retail branches, Investors delivers personalized services and products tailored to the needs of its customers. Investors’ banking services include complete deposit, loan and cash management products for consumers and businesses. The Investors Foundation supports non-profit organizations that enrich the quality of life in the communities the Bank serves. To date, the Foundation has dispensed more than $15 million to support initiatives ranging from community and civic improvements to the fight against diseases. Investors Bank. Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender.
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About the Community Foundation:
The Princeton Area Community Foundation promotes philanthropy and builds community across Mercer County and central New Jersey. It helps people and companies make effective charitable gifts and awards grants to nonprofits. Since its founding in 1991, the Community Foundation has grown into an organization with $182 million in assets and made grants of more than $149 million, including $21 million in 2018.
Learn more at https://pacf.org
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About the Burke Foundation:
The Burke Foundation is a private foundation based in Princeton, New Jersey.
It funds transformative early childhood initiatives to foster the healthy development of families and communities in New jersey. The Burke Foundation focuses on three key areas: healthy pregnancies and births, positive parent-child relationships and high quality early care and learning. Learn more at https://burkefoundation.org
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About the Fund for Women and Girls:
Founded in 1998, the Fund for Women and Girls is a group of members dedicated to improving the lives of economically vulnerable girls and women in greater Mercer County. Over the past 20 years, the FWG has raised over $1 million and made over $800,000 in grants to programs supporting women and girls in our community. In 2017, the Fund for Women and Girls invested over $100,000 in organizations that allow women and girls the opportunity to reach their full potential. Learn more at:
https://pacf.org/our-impact/giving-together/fund-for-women-and-girls/
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