(MountainStar Fall Class 2021 | Photo courtesy of MountainStar Family Relief Nursery)
MountainStar Family Relief Nursery (MountainStar) kicks off this school year with themes of growth, commitment and gratitude in mind. As MountainStar staff look back at 21 years of service, continued growth has been essential to meet the needs of families across Central Oregon. Each year, we look at ways to better serve families and effectively expand our service area. Each year, we renew our commitment to the community to provide services to those families struggling the most — keeping kids safe and parents successful. MountainStar continually reflects on our partners, funders and volunteers with gratitude.
Expanding services means more than just building new sites. It means having the staff and expertise to build trusting relationships with families which creates the opportunity for meaningful change. Today, MountainStar is excited to report that we are doing both — building new classroom spaces in Redmond and La Pine and increasing staff capacity across the region.
Kara Tachikawa, MountainStar executive director, shares: “We are grateful for the many partnerships that enabled this expansion of sites, services and staffing. The Central Oregon community exhibits a tremendous commitment to keep children safe and to give them the best start possible. With their continued support, MountainStar will remain a leader in early childhood care and help meet the needs of families that are struggling the most. It takes all of us working together to build hope for children and their families, and this hope can become the foundation for the future of our community.”
MountainStar is a local nonprofit that provides child abuse and neglect prevention services for the most vulnerable children and families in Central Oregon. We are the only program in Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook Counties providing therapeutic classrooms, parenting education services and family support targeted at protecting babies and toddlers who are at significant risk for abuse and neglect. We envision communities that support each parent’s effort to nurture their children’s emotional, physical and intellectual development in a safe environment.
Now in its 21st year, MountainStar has served 5,300 children and their families. We provide over 300 hours of direct family support each year and over 98 percent of children enrolled in our program remain safe from abuse and neglect.
