PORT CHARLOTTE — Maria Guerrero knew she could lead a new day care center after Hurricane Ian, especially after experiencing strong community support for the project.
On Thursday, Guerrero thanked those who worked for more than a year to bring the Stars Academy to life in Port Charlotte.
Angela Hogan, of the Gulf Coast Partnership, in collaboration with the American Red Cross and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, stepped up to help create and open Stars Academy for families in need.
The day care on the Rock Calvary Church campus, 2230 Hariet St., Port Charlotte, can house 90 children from 6 weeks to 5 years old.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Hogan said eight day care centers closed after Hurricane Ian hit Charlotte County in September 2022. She knew families couldn’t get low-cost reliable day care, despite parents needing to get back to work. Some parents lost their jobs after the storm.
Day care workers took other jobs while the centers were closed.
Without childcare, families were forced to cut back on work hours leading to “significant financial stress and oftentimes housing instability or worse homelessness,” Hogan said.
With reduced workforce participation and economic productivity it hindered the community’s recovery.
Recognizing the urgent need, the Gulf Coast Partnership reached out to the American Red Cross and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. They worked to create Stars Academy.
“It’s a day care center that will provide a safe and nurturing environment for children and their families,” she said. “Stars Academy is not just a childcare center, it’s a critical step in our long-term recovery efforts.”
Rock Calvary Church pastor Aaron Smith said the day care center was already at the church when they bought the badly damaged building.
“We were elated to have the space to help open a new program,” Smith said. “The problem is the building was so damaged, we didn’t know how we were going to fix the day care center. Then Angela came along and said there were partners who could make it happen.”
Guerrero told the crowd her staff has years of early learning education experience.
“This is not babysitting,” she said. “It’s creating the teachers, the lawyers, the senators and maybe the president of the United States. I’ve always said it takes a village to raise a child — this is our village.”
The center is still hiring staff and welcomes volunteers who want to come and read to children.
Michelle Craft of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County said once she heard about the need for childcare, she knew the foundation could help.
“This is exactly what we were looking for in a partnership,” Craft said. “We knew this was a perfect fit for us to help the community.”
For more information, call 941-685-7939 or email Maria@Stars-Academy.org
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