Together we can make a difference.
Your gift helps to improve the quality of life in the Latino community.
Child Development | Healthcare
Prevention | Treatment
Scholarships 

Our mission is to improve the quality of life in the Latino community

through education, leadership, services and advocacy.

OUR WORK

Latino Clients Served

In Scholarship Dollars Awarded

Programs

Sign up for the latest news
We invite you to sign up to get our news and updates delivered to your inbox so that we can keep you up-to-date with what’s happening at the Latino Community Development Agency.

SPONSORS

unidosusaffiliate_rgb_preview.jpeg

LCDA is a member of the UnidosUS affiliate network.

Compadres Sponsors

– News and Updates –

Child Development Center Celebrates 25th Anniversary
When is a playground more than kids just running around having fun?
When it’s a Nature Explore® Outdoor Classroom!

LCDA’s Tony Reyes Bilingual Child Development Center (TRBCDC) celebrated its 25th anniversary on May 5 at its Riverside Headquarters on SW 10th Street, when civic leaders, educators and LCDA staff and volunteers joined together to recognize the important milestone and to christen the program’s newest feature, a Nature Explore® Outdoor Classroom.

Guests were greeted with remarks by Dr. Raúl Font, LCDA president, and Paloma Cisneros, LCDA’s director of children’s
programs. Next, guests were treated to a children’s performance. Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony, guests saw firsthand how an outdoor space for kids can be a vital place for learning important concepts.

“We actually have two bilingual outdoor classrooms in Oklahoma City, both of which are certified by Nature Explore®, a national nonprofit program, that works with a network of organizations throughout the U.S., with a goal to help nature become an integral, joyful part of children’s daily learning,” states Dr. Font. “LCDA continues to invest in kids, and is grateful for a grant for the outdoor classrooms from E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation, and the outdoor classroom design plans created by Sunbeam Family Services’ Andrew Norton. As this is our anniversary year, we also want to recognize the important financial support for our child development center programs provided by Potts Family Foundation, Lopez Foods, Inasmuch Foundation and Oklahoma State Department of Human Services.”

LCDA has two Nature Explore® outdoor
classrooms, and both are certified by the
program’s national office in Lincoln, Nebraska. LCDA’s programs are the only two in
Oklahoma County that are certified. Nature Explore® provides research-based workshops, design consultations and resources created to support programs as they continue to connect children and families to the wonders of nature. LCDA’s staff is trained in how to incorporate a curriculum approved by Nature Explore®.

Paloma Cisneros states: “Many of the children we serve have limited experiences with nature because of their living environment. They are from low-income families, where parents often work multiple low-wage jobs to make ends meet. We believe that by teaching children about the natural world at an early age they will learn to take care of, advocate for, and have a deep appreciation for nature. We also believe that children need to experience outdoor play in a setting that is guided by a proven curriculum, so that play is that much more meaningful.”

Both of LCDA’s child development centers are located in south Oklahoma City. One program site provides Early Head Start services for up to 48 children, ages zero to three, and the other site provides early care and education services for children ages three to five, for an additional 45 children. Both sites have accreditation from the Oklahoma State Department of Human
Services, and National Association for the
Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

TRBCDC was established in June 30, 1997, in memory of Antonio “Tony” C. Reyes, a dedicated child advocate who provided his time to
mentoring children at LCDA. Tony wanted every child to have the same opportunity affluent children had, but in a bilingual setting that was culturally and linguistically age-appropriate for them. Sadly, Mr. Reyes was killed in the 1995 Murrah Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma City. His niece, Nina Gonzales, had the vision for what became the TRBCDC, and served as its first paid director.

Follow us on social media

Contact Us

420 SW 10th
Oklahoma City, OK 73109
Phone: 405.236.0701
Fax: 405.236.0737