PHOTOS: Matt Boltz, Engineer, Chicago Cubs Radio - Wordspecs

Artist Program sends instructors out to area nursery and elementary
schools, particularly those serving large populations of children from lowincome
households. The program enables children to explore instruments
and world music traditions and provides music appreciation, ensembles,
and master classes for students playing a variety of instruments.
On May 30, saxophone teacher A.J. Kluth visited Oak Terrace
Elementary School and introduced the third graders to wind instruments
such as the saxophone, clarinet, flute and tin whistle. Kluth talked to the
children about the history and construction of his instruments, showed
them how to play and discussed the physics of how wind instruments
work. The third graders enthusiastically questioned Kluth and are excited
about his next visit to their school. Music Art School’s enrichment
programming is provided at no cost to our community’s schools.
The Music Arts School also provides outreach to seniors by offering
recitals, lecture-recitals and various classical and world music appreciation
workshops at the Highland Park Senior Center. Additional free
programming is available to the general public and takes place at locations
throughout Highland Park. One such program was held at the library this
past spring. The free five-week course was titled, “Great Jazz Music: From
Its Origins in New Orleans to the Current Chicago Scene.”
The Music Arts School wants as many people in the community as
possible to benefit from their high-quality music instruction. For those who
aren’t able to pay the full cost of taking classes at the Music Arts School,
YEA! Highland Park funds scholarships that allow the school to offer
significantly reduced fees. Music Arts School, 477 Elm Place,
847-432-8474, musicartsschool.com.
Tri-Con Child Care Center – a hidden
treasure in the heart of the community
You’ve probably driven past one of the great assets of Highland Park
without ever realizing it. Tri-Con Child Care Center is rather discreetly
housed in the lower level of Trinity Episcopal Church on Laurel Avenue—
just down the street from the Highland Park Public Library. But, don’t let its
unimposing presence fool you; this program has profoundly affected
hundreds of children and their families in its 36 years of providing
subsidized child care and early learning to children from lower income
families living or working in Highland Park.
Tri-Con serves approximately 60 children ages 3 to 5 each year, with 85-
90% coming from Spanish-speaking families. The agency provides the children
with full-day, year-round care and early learning opportunities, including
English language learning and early literacy, which research shows are critical
to children’s success in primary school. A kindergarten enrichment program
reinforces and enhances the children’s learning in the district schools.
All of the families whose children attend Tri-Con receive assistance to
help pay their child care fees. Many are eligible for and receive a statefunded
subsidy for their fees, and the families make a weekly co-payment
that averages about $40 per week depending on family size and income.
According to Pam Feinberg, Executive Director of Tri-Con, one of the
most difficult situations for families and for the program is when a family’s
income goes up, often by just $50 or so a month, and they are no longer
eligible for state-funded assistance. For example, a family of four can have a
maximum gross annual income of no more than $36,192 in order to
receive a subsidy. Once their income goes above that threshold, they are no
longer eligible for any state assistance.
Although the average income for a family of four at Tri-Con is $28,457,
each year there are multiple families earning too much for state assistance,
but clearly unable to pay the program’s full fee for care, which is $200 per
week. Imagine going from a weekly out-of-pocket child care fee of $40 a
week to $200 a week. The full fee for a single child would consume nearly
30% of the family’s gross income.
Tri-Con works hard each year to raise funds through grants, from
donations by businesses and individuals and from other projects to provide
scholarship assistance. These families are the working poor and without
this kind of help would surely fall through the proverbial cracks. Without
scholarships, they would have to replace Tri-Con’s high-quality child care
with other more costly care that might lack the educational and family
support benefits at Tri-Con.
Tri-Con collaborates with other social services agencies to acquire a range
of additional support services for families. They refer families for counseling
and legal services as needed; they offer hearing and vision screenings for
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Fall 2007 / 33