Jaqueline Emma Benghouzi WIZO Day Care Center

The late Jaqueline Emma Benghouzi Day Care Center was established in 2017. It is located at the edge of the city of Sderot, near a developing area. The day care was built in partnership with the municipality of Sderot, and a generous donation was raised to establish it. The entire day care is built in a protective manner. The center is divided into three spaces, with a classroom for each age group, an infant class and a toddler class. It is a musical day care and have a variety of different enrichment programs in the field of music. Such as rhythm and music classes, that focuses on getting acquainted with musical instruments and exposure to different styles of music. They are also a part of the “maon ve od” program, “day care and more”, that provides the children with a healthier, more varied diet.

The day care has quickly become one of the most sought-after day cares in the area. With the staff having undergone several courses that provide them with tools to use in their day to day, mainly focused on respect, dialogue and conflict resolution. Though, the first year the day care was established it was only partially occupied due to its close proximity to the city cemetery and it being located at the edge of the city. Now the neighborhood has greatly evolved, there’s ongoing construction, and many residential houses has been built. In addition, the day care is near the municipal gardens and is now fully occupied with 77 children. The demography of the day care is diverse and consists mostly of young families with medium to high socioeconomic backgrounds, that have varied professions. There’s one family with a single parent, and three families that reserve welfare support.

Currently the day care is in transitioning to become a complete musical day care, exposing the children to different musical programs. Once a month they hold afternoon activities with the parents where children tell stories and perform plays. In cooperation with the municipality of Sderot they have created a program to identify children with developmental delays. And even a program for infants, where parents receive guidance and training on how to follow up on the baby’s growth. Furthermore, they have enrichment activities with parents in the afternoon such as workshops, lectures, concert performances and story time, with an emphasis on the musical field.