AVANCE Celebrates 50th Anniversary

SAN ANTONIO - April 4, 2023 - PRLog -- AVANCE is excited to announce that 2023 marks 50 years of serving the Latina/o community; walking alongside parents and children as they journey to reach their fullest potential.

On September 14, 1973, AVANCE was founded on the belief that parents are their child's first and most important teachers and that their home is the first classroom. Since inception, AVANCE has been a pioneer in uplifting Latino families through innovative, culturally responsive, two-generation programming that combines parenting education with early childhood education. While standing firmly on its core Parent-Child Education Program (PCEP), AVANCE has responded to families' growing needs by expanding programming to include services for home childcare providers. This addition offers providers opportunities to build social capital, creates pathways to economic mobility, increases the quality of local child care, and honors parents' choices regarding childcare options.

For its golden anniversary, AVANCE is celebrating how far the organization has come and where it is going. What began as a program serving 35 families in the Mirasol Housing Project on San Antonio's west side, has grown into a national nonprofit with a presence across Texas and California. Annually, AVANCE impacts more than 12,000 parents, children, and providers, a reach that grows as the organization continues to scale across Texas and beyond.

"We are extremely proud of our legacy and our momentum," said Dr. Teresa Granillo, AVANCE CEO. "For half a century, AVANCE has been a trusted resource for communities, meeting families and providers where they are and helping them to fulfill their sueños (dreams). Because we stay true to our roots while we continue to evolve, AVANCE is really uniquely positioned to meet the needs of our families, providers, and communities well into the future."

Looking ahead, AVANCE has ambitious plans to scale the reach and impact of its programming. Beginning with 2023, AVANCE is launching the Family Child Care Alliance of Texas, a statewide partnership of home childcare providers that supports resource and cost sharing for increased efficiency and to better equip providers to offer high-quality services. Also set to begin is the AVANCE to College program, streamlining families' transition to continued education by implementing PCEP at community colleges. These programs mark important milestones but are only a glimpse of what AVANCE has in store. With additional partnerships and collaborations lined up for 2023, AVANCE already has more in the works to support the organization's momentum in upcoming years as it branches out to serve new communities and innovate new ways of supporting families and providers.

Thrilled to mark 50 years, AVANCE invites everyone to follow on social media, where throughout the year, they will share and celebrate the organization's rich history, current momentum, and plans for the future. To learn more about AVANCE visit https://www.avance.org/ or follow https://www.facebook.com/AVANCEinc.