Paramount Agricultural Companies Open One of the Country’s First Environmentally Friendly Pre-Schools in San Joaquin Valley

AVENAL, Calif., Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ — To ensure the children of families employed by the Paramount Agricultural Companies are ready for school, the Paramount Agricultural Companies in collaboration with Childrens’ Creative Learning Centers (CCLC) opens the Paramount Child Development Center. Operated by CCLC. The Center is staffed with qualified teachers, providing a rich learning environment, clearly-defined standards and outcomes that put attending children on track for success in school and in life.

Studies indicate that the quality of early care and education that a child receives in pre-school can set the tenor of their education and lay the building blocks for future academic success. Preparing children to read (English Language Literacy) is critical, what preschool children know about words, sounds, letters and print, directly impacts later academic performance. Children lacking such knowledge upon entry into kindergarten will not only struggle there, but often struggle throughout the rest of their academic career.

As one of the largest agricultural employers in the San Joaquin Valley, Paramount continues to support existing educational programming and seeks to establish new opportunities to actively engage children and increase educational outcomes for families. Present at the opening were Lynda and Stewart Resnick. “What started for us many years ago with a handful of orchards has grown into a dedicated commitment to providing opportunity and growth for families in the Central Valley. Education has always been the area on which Stewart and I have focused much of our efforts.” The Resnicks support a variety of programs from the schools in Avenal, Delano, Del Rey, Lost Hills, Shafter, Kettleman City, and Earlimart; to funding Valley Children’s Hospital, the Boys and Girls Clubs, school fitness centers, and after school reading programs to restoring arts and music to the elementary schools.

One of the key differences between the Paramount Child Development Center and other pre-school programs is the conscious eco-construction of a Center built to address children’s educational needs. The building is designed as a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified structure using CHPS (Collaborative for High Performing Schools) guidelines. “Paramount sets many precedents for environmentally responsible partnerships in the Valley,” explained Dave Szeflin, vice president of operations for Paramount Farms. “The walls and floors have high mass for thermal energy storage with cool roof technology to increase renewable energy and reduce the facility’s carbon foot print. The Center is designed for natural ventilation with a highly efficient filtration system for superior indoor quality.” The facility is 11,300 square feet built on 5.3 acres and will educate approximately 80 children. After the creation of the first solar plant, Paramount continues to find new projects to inspire environmental practices in California.

The Center will be run in collaboration with CCLC, a nationally recognized early childhood educational provider. “We’re thrilled to be able to offer Paramount Farm employees and Central Valley families an exceptional child care option,” said Fran Durekas, Chief Development Officer and Founder, CCLC. “We strongly believe our warm, comfortable environment, combined with our stimulating curriculum and enrichment programs, will enhance every child’s learning opportunity and inspire growth. We look forward to building relationships with these families and the surrounding community.” CCLC offers developmentally appropriate programs through its Guided Discovery Curriculum(TM) which incorporates physical, social, language, cognitive and emotional development. The Center will open on February 2nd to Paramount families under the direction of Margarita Davila.

Paramount Farming Company

The arid climate and fertile soil of California’s San Joaquin Valley provide perfect conditions for growing almonds, pistachios, and pomegranates (Wonderful variety) for processing and sales by their affiliated companies. The goal of Paramount Farming is to improve on nature where they can nurture approximately 90,000 acres with the best of care. A proud industry leader in Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), Paramount Farming carefully selects orchard locations and combines agricultural science with ecological responsibility.

Paramount Farms Inc

Established in the 1990s, Paramount Farms Inc, sorts, processes, packages all of the almonds and pistachios grown by Paramount Farming Company, as well as a considerable volume of pistachios grown by other growers in California. Paramount Farms is the first nut supplier in the U.S. to receive ISO 17025 certification. Their brands include Sunkist, Everybody’s Nuts, and Wonderful.

Childrens’ Creative Learning Centers, Inc. (CCLC)

The Paramount Child Development Center is operated by CCLC, a national child care provider dedicated to developing unique and effective employer-sponsored child care programs. Founded in 1992, CCLC currently operates more than 100 employer-sponsored child development centers. It offers high-quality child care programs for children ages six weeks to 12 years through on-site or near-site child development centers, before and after school programs, summer camps and specialized dependent care programs such as priority access and back-up child care. CCLC has extensive experience providing quality, convenient and affordable child care programs for working families, creating professional work environments for early childhood educators and helping our clients realize their goals for recruitment, retention and work-life benefits. For more information about CCLC, visit www.cclc.com or call toll-free 1-888-909-cclc.

SOURCE Paramount Farms Inc