Founded in 1999, the mission of Hands Together is to provide the highest quality early education and care to families of the working poor who are striving to gain stability, improve their lives, and emerge from poverty. The goal is to prepare children to enter school with a quality early education. Noted for its comprehensive multi-faceted curriculum, this licensed program includes parenting, literacy, and health and developmental screening, in addition to child care. Primary curriculum goals focus upon cognitive skills, and language, physical, social/emotional and aesthetic development. Additional components include: enriched English literacy, extended family support, and continuing professional development of teachers and operations staff.
In December, 2004, Hands Together was selected by the California Commission on Children and Families as one of only 10 exemplary childcare and early education program sites in the State. Earlier, Hands Together (although not a United way agency) was selected to work with United Way's esteemed "Success by Six" literacy program. It has also been recognized by the Children and Families Commission of Orange County as a distinguished grantee for its exemplary services to families in conjunction with a major Proposition 10 grant received in 2000. In addition, Hands Together has received national recognition from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as one of the most outstanding Empowerment Zone projects in the nation.
Hands Together is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit early childhood education and child development program offering comprehensive preschool services. We welcome community support, and accept subsidized programs from the U.S. military, Orange County Department of Education, Orange County Social Services Agencies and Children’s Home Society.
