LONG BEACH, CA – On June 28, 2023, Long Beach Day Nursery (LBDN) held their Annual Meeting and celebrated a $1 million donation from the John and Helen Apostle Foundation which allows LBDN to further provide high quality early care and education for young children of working parents. The $1 million donation, gifted over six years, funds teachers’ salaries and enables LBDN to expand services for young children.

“We are grateful for the generous donation from the John and Helen Apostle Foundation,” said Long Beach Day Nursery Executive Director Jennifer Allen. “The funding has a significant impact in LBDN’s ability to provide much needed increases to teacher wages and continue providing high quality early care and education. From social to emotional and educational skills, early childhood teachers have a critical role in the development of young children. With more funding for teacher salaries, we can expand the number of children we serve.”

LBDN’s Annual Meeting evening event, attended by LBDN Board of Directors, Honorary Board Members, the Executive Team, and Jim Sullos from the John and Helen Apostle Foundation celebrated serving Long Beach children and their families for over 110 years with the unveiling of new signage commemorating the newly named John and Helen Apostle Foundation Center and highlighting a new toddler building recently installed onsite at the historic West Branch campus.

“Expanding vital services for our local children continues to be a top priority,” added Long Beach Day Nursery Executive Director Jennifer Allen. “The COVID-19 pandemic only increased existing gaps in opportunity, with potentially long-term impacts on young children. These generous funds will help Long Beach Day Nursery recruit and retain our important teaching staff as we work to offset the social and emotional effects of trauma in the community and help ensure that vulnerable children have a high quality education and a safe place to learn and grow throughout the year.”

"One of the major objectives of the Apostle Foundation is to support children's education in Long Beach.  The programs at the Long Beach Day Nursery are vital to the early education of young children.  The trustees are pleased to provide the funding to enhance their multiple programs", said Jim Sullos, trustee, speaking for the other trustees, which includes Jay Swigart and Northern Trust.

LBDN is committed to supporting the needs of young children and families from all socio-economic backgrounds. A good start in the formative years of childhood provides children with a lasting foundation for success throughout their lives. LBDN's NAEYC accredited centers provide a low teacher-child ratio, high quality classrooms and one of the only integrated early intervention programs in LA County. LBDN also provides: science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum; early literacy; art and music; a healthy connections and nutrition program; and so much more. LBDN also provides scholarships that help support families and provide more children with greater access to a quality start to their education. 

 About Long Beach Day Nursery (LBDN)

Long Beach Day Nursery (LBDN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is accredited thru the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The mission of LBDN is to provide high quality early care and education for young children of working families. For more information, please visit www.lbdn.org and connect with LBDN @lbdnchildren on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up to receive email updates here.