Press Release: Settlement Home Bright Space

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PRESS RELEASE

Bright Space to Give Young Women a Dedicated Learning Environment
Mom’s Best Friend and Bright Horizons Partner on New Space at The Settlement Home for Children

Austin, TX – September 16, 2015 – On Tuesday, September 15, 2015, at 2:00 pm, members of Mom’s Best Friend, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, and the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children officially opened a Bright Space® at The Settlement Home for Children. Bright Spaces are designed to provide children and youth in shelters or foster care with a dedicated warm, enriching area to play and learn.

The Settlement Home serves individuals with histories of severe trauma, abuse and neglect. The nonprofit provides a home for girls and young women in the foster care system and offers a variety of programs and services to help them heal and grow. Programs include a Residential Treatment Center, Group Home Program, Transitional Living Program, and Foster & Adoption Program.

“Health and physical fitness play an integral role in helping our children heal from their past trauma, abuse and neglect. We are grateful for this new gym and the opportunity to give our kids a beautiful and functional place to work out and learn healthy habits that will serve them in the future,” said Darcie DeShazo, Executive Director at The Settlement Home.

Studies have shown that children of all ages thrive when they have a safe place in which to explore the world around them, filled with books, toys and activities that are developmentally appropriate and provide an opportunity for them to discover the magic of childhood. Children experiencing stress especially need access to these kinds of child-friendly spaces.

Mom’s Best Friend, the largest and most established nanny and household staffing agency in Texas, sponsored this Bright Space and worked together with Bright Horizons employees to create the space. “We’re honored to have the opportunity to continue our long-standing support of The Settlement Home through the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children. The opening of this Bright Space® will enable children to grow within a safe and structured environment and our hope is that this initiative will positively impact the children of The Settlement Home, as well as the Austin community,” commented Stuart Dupuy, Principal at Mom’s Best Friend.

The Settlement Home Bright Space is one of the first created through the new Bright Horizons Foundation for Children Champions for Children program. Champions for Children, like Mom’s Best Friend, are partner organizations that invest in the children of their communities through the Foundation’s Bright Space program.

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About Mom’s Best Friend
Mom’s Best Friend is the leading household staffing provider in Texas and is a preferred provider of corporate back-up care with Bright Horizons. Since 1994, Mom’s Best Friend has been referring the highest quality nannies, sitters, senior caregivers and household staff, with only 10% of applicants making it through a detailed screening process that includes extensive reference checks and a thorough criminal background check. This commitment to quality has resulted in numerous awards including the national Association of Premier Nanny Agencies (APNA) “Agency of the Year” and “Best Nanny Service” in the Austin Family Magazine reader’s poll.

About The Settlement Home
Founded in 1916 as a day nursery for the children of working mothers during World War I, The Settlement Home now serves children, young adults and their families with histories of severe trauma, abuse and neglect. The Settlement Home’s mission is to promote healing and growth in children, young adults and families by providing a continuum of care, support and resources. Owned and operated by The Settlement Club, The Settlement Home will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2016. More information is available at www.settlementhome.org

About Bright Horizons
Bright Horizons Family Solutions® is a leading provider of high-quality child care, early education and other services designed to help employers and families better address the challenges of work and life. The Company provides center-based full service child care, back-up dependent care and educational advisory services to more than 900 clients across the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Canada and India, including more than 140 FORTUNE 500 companies and more than 80 of Working Mother magazine’s 2014 “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers.”  Bright Horizons is one of FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” and is one of the UK’s Best Workplaces as designated by the Great Place to Work® Institute. Bright Horizons is headquartered in Watertown, MA. The Company’s web site is located at www.brighthorizons.com.

The Bright Horizons Foundation for Children is a nonprofit organization focused on brightening the lives of children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness and other crises. We do this by creating and supporting Bright Spaces; warm, safe, enriching spaces in homeless shelters and other agencies for children and youth to build caring relationships, heal from trauma through play, and experience the joy of childhood. The Foundation believes that we can make the world a better place by engaging Bright Horizons’ employees, clients, families, friends, and community partners to strengthen families, support our communities, share our knowledge, and encourage others to join us in making a difference. There are now more than 300 Bright Spaces located in shelters in more than 35 states around the country and Europe, serving thousands of children each year. More information is at www.brighthorizonsfoundation.

 

Contact: Aimee Gassmann, Director of Marketing | 512.346.2229 ext. 205