Hillcrest Children's Center

Alumni families- we are in need of a youth size 8-10 snow gear and size 4 boots for a staff members child. Please reach out to Christina if you are able to assist. TIA

Hillcrest is excited for our annual Fall Festival for all current and alumni families as a way to celebrate the season and bring our extended community together. This event reflects our core values of fostering a strong sense of community and creating a warm, family-centered environment. By welcoming both current and past families, we aim to strengthen the lasting connections that make our program special and provide a fun, inclusive space where everyone feels they belong. We hope you can join us next Friday, September 19th from 5-7. We will have yummy food, warm drinks, face painting, wagon rides by Horsedrawn Carriage, and a selfie station with Photo Emporium’s marigold bus.

Exciting Announcement! 🌟

We are expanding our Hillcrest Youth Center program at Airport Heights to provide aftercare for the Airport Heights Neighborhood Preschool! We also have the potential to bus from Baxter and/or Russian Jack if there is enough interest.

We are thrilled to introduce this expansion starting September 2nd! Our program is designed to provide a safe, engaging, and nurturing environment for children after attending the morning session of PreKindergarten at their neighborhood elementary school.

Hours and Pricing:
Noon until 3:00 pm for $450
Noon until 6:00 pm for $1069

Activities Include:
* Nutritious lunch and afternoon snack
* Creative sensory play and engaging block play
* Inviting, child-friendly environment
* Outdoor time to explore, play, and unwind

Financial Assistance
We are pleased to accept Child Care Assistance through the Municipality of Anchorage (MOA), CITC, and Military!

Your child will spend their morning (9-noon on Monday, 8-noon the rest of the week) in the Anchorage School District neighborhood PreKindergarten program and then transition into aftercare with Hillcrest.
* Structured, yet flexible care for your child.
* Supportive, licensed staff trained to engage and care for your little ones.
* A warm and welcoming environment where your child can feel safe and thrive.

To enroll or learn more, please contact us! We can’t wait to welcome your child to our new program and create a wonderful after-school experience together.

**Enrollment Opens Now – Space is Limited!**
We look forward to partnering with you and your family to provide the best care possible!

For questions or to sign up, please email us at [email protected]

Hillcrest is hiring a new cook!

What is it like to be a cook in a large childcare center? You get to be a little bit of a rock star! You help create an inviting, cheerful atmosphere in our classrooms, where everyone looks forward to mealtimes with happy anticipation. You are part of the children’s worlds in that you help shape their love of delicious, healthy food and provide a nutritional foundation for strong brains and bodies that are ready to learn.

Please note: Hillcrest Children’s Center is a community, and by taking this job, you will become part of it. You will form appropriate relationships with people, and people will count on you. For this reason, and because there is so much to the job, we are looking for a minimum commitment of one year.

Duties of the job
You prepare Breakfast, Lunch, and Afternoon Snack for 75 children and their classroom teachers, and deliver the food to classrooms (not pre-plating). We cook most of our food in-house, using house recipes.
We are part of the Federal food program (CACFP), which means that our food is planned, prepared, and served under strict rules and guidelines. Once you have learned enough about the program and about Hillcrest, you will work with your supervisor to incorporate new dishes and menu items.
Every day you will take out the trash and recycling, wash & sanitize all the pans and dishes, sweep & mop the floor, and put all the ingredients and prepared food away.
You will be working mostly by yourself in the kitchen, sometimes talking with teachers, children, or parents. When a meal is ready, you take components to classrooms (up and down stairs) and check in with the teachers, say hello to the kids. *You will become very popular, especially in preschool.
You may listen to music or podcasts on headphones while you are in the kitchen.
Every week you will do an inventory, and place an order for the food needed for the following week’s menu.
Written logs must be kept for what has been prepared, what has been discarded, what has changed on the menu, fridge & freezer temperature logs, etc.
The kitchen, pantry, all refrigerators & freezers, and food service areas of classrooms are the responsibility of the cook to maintain in an orderly and sanitary way.
Receive and put away deliveries of food and operational supplies (i.e. a week’s worth of food from Costco), and sometimes shop for needed items and transport back to center.

Non-Negotiable Requirements
MUST be able to pass a federal/state/local background check that includes ANY prior OCS findings.
Read, write, and understand spoken and written English, and able to follow written directions
Experience cooking large quantities of food from scratch and *enjoy* cooking all types of food
Have Food Handler’s card, be able to take and pass the Food Manager’s test after 90 days
Able to safely and repeatedly lift up to 50lbs during shift. Think of 4 gallons of hot water and 5 lbs spaghetti in a giant pot and how you would drain it…
Able to carry containers of food up and down stairs several times a day, and able to stand for long periods of time chopping, scrubbing, stirring, etc.
Able to use a step stool to reach higher shelves and safely lift down heavy items
Reliability is extremely important: this is not a job for someone with any sort of condition or situation that will result in inconsistent attendance.

Compensation and Benefits
Pay based on experience. Scale is $20-$30 per hour
Benefits package: YMCA membership, Paid Time Off (sick and vacation), Paid Holidays, Paid Training

How to Apply: Interested candidates should email us at [email protected]

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, s*x (including gender identity and s*xual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
email:
[email protected]
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

www.usda.gov

🎓 **FREE Early Childhood Administration Course – Starts This Summer!** 🎓

Are you (or someone you know) interested in leading a licensed childcare program? We're launching a brand-new **Early Childhood Administration cohort**, and the first class kicks off this summer!

🌟 What’s included:
✅ **FREE tuition** (earn 3 ECE credits!)
✅ **Childcare provided** during class
✅ **Meals + tutoring** support
✅ In-person classes for hands-on learning

📍 **Location:** First United Methodist Church – 725 W 9th Ave
📚 **Class:** ECE 305 – *Social Emotional Development: Reflection & Practice*
📅 **Dates:**
- May 31, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- June 11, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
- June 14, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- June 25, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
- June 28, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- July 10, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
- July 12, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

🗓️ After summer, more classes will continue one night a week in Fall 2025, Winter 2026, and Fall 2026.

📩 Send us a message or email [email protected] if you have questions or want to sign up.
📣 Please share this post with friends or coworkers who might be interested!

We are sad to announce that Chef J, our cook, is moving on to other endeavors. We have greatly appreciated him.

If you know someone who likes to cook and is flexible, please send them our way. This would be a great job for someone who is struggling to find child care.

Dear Hillcrest families,

As you know Hillcrest is an inclusive center, and that means once you are a Hillcrest kid, you are always a Hillcrest kid. Sometimes things come up in our lives, and a child’s development goes differently than expected, or a family’s circumstances change suddenly and unexpectedly. Hillcrest is committed to supporting our families in ways that support their well-being and allow their child to continue at Hillcrest.

For some families, this looks like home visits to help figure out a behavioral need, or to better understand a complex situation. For others it can be time talking with our mental health consultant, or having a child’s therapists provide services at Hillcrest and show the teachers how to incorporate strategies in the classroom.

For the Shaw family (Charlie (Lynx/Beluga), Avrie (Salmon) and their older sister Toby(10yrs)), life just took one of those rough turns - in the form of an ultra-rare and unfortunately terminal diagnosis for Charlie. We are currently learning to feed her with her new G-tube port, and are helping the family find community resources. Charlie’s aunt made a Go Fund Me for the family, and Charlie’s mom Katie agreed that it was okay for us to share with the Hillcrest community. There are no expectations for anyone to contribute unless you would like to do so. If you have other suggestions for the family (including ways to support the older kids), please let Sam know.

Take care,
Sam

Donate to Support baby Charlie Jo’s fight, organized by Brianna Keisor Hello all, A friend of mine, Katie Edwards is an incredibly strong and dedicated singl… Brianna Keisor needs your support for Support baby Charlie Jo’s fight

Families and staff- please check out this opportunity to serve our community.

Anchorage area parents and providers: consider applying to serve on the board of the ACCEE Fund (Anchorage Child Care and Early Education). The Board will consist of nine members reflecting diverse backgrounds with experience and/or interest in the sector. Board members are unpaid, but can receive reimbursement for costs associated with Board duties.

Learn more: www.careforkidsanchorage.com

"In addition to fostering creativity and imagination, free play outdoors also enhances problem-solving skills. When children engage in unstructured play in the natural environment, they are presented with a variety of challenges and obstacles that require them to think critically and find solutions."

The Surprising Benefits of Free Play Outdoors for School Aged Children Imagine a world where children are always playing in sprawling green fields, and the sound of laughter and excitement fills the air. A world where school aged children are given the freedom to explore, create, and connect with the natural world around them. It may seem like a distant dream in today'...

FYI

🚧 Attention Anchorage drivers. 🚧 May 4 through May 9 there will be single lane closures and traffic control on the Port Access Bridge over Ship Creek between A and C Streets and E Loop Road for bridge inspection work.

Expect reduced speeds and be aware of workers 👷 and equipment 🏗️.

2024 Closures
Holiday Closures
February 19, Monday (President’s Day)
May 27, Monday (Memorial Day)
July 4, Thursday (July 4th)
September 2, Monday (Labor Day)
November 28 and 29, Thursday and Friday (Thanksgiving)
December 23rd, Wednesday (Christmas)
In-Service Closures
March 25, Monday (Seward’s Day)
May 24, Friday
August 30, Friday
October 18, Friday (Alaska Day)
November 11, Monday (Veteran’s Day)