Rayitos de Sol
Bilingual Childcare Center
Rayitos de Sol Bilingual Childcare opened its doors in January 2021, with the mission to provide bilingual Spanish and English child care services that center the languages and cultures of the students we serve. The center acts as a bridge to connect families from different backgrounds so that language and culture are valued and enrich our whole community.
Rayitos de Sol is open to all families in the Downeast community, including families arriving to the area seasonally to perform agricultural work. The center provides:
Bilingual Curriculum
Bilingual education is incredibly beneficial to young children's cognitive development, memory and academic achievement. However, many children who speak a different language at home face barriers in spaces where English is exclusively spoken. Rayitos de Sol bilingual curriculum provides spaces where both languages are celebrated and children can both express themselves and be understood in either language.
Accessible Pricing and Scholarships
Rayitos de Sol is the only program in the area offering accessible childcare through the Maine Child Care Subsidy program, and supports migrant families overcome systemic barriers to access childcare through our scholarship program, La Familia Fund.
Good jobs and internship/assistantship opportunities
We believe that childcare workers should be paid a liveable wage, that is why Rayitos de Sol teachers are paid $5-$8 more than statewide average, and provided benefits. We also provide opportunities for youth interested in early childhood education through our assistantship program in collaboration with Washington County Community College, and a Youth Leadership Internship program.
Healthy and Culturally Nourishing food
With support from the Good Shepard Food Bank, Mano en Mano has opened a culturally nourishing food pantry. Teachers prepare weekly food bags for students to take home to ensure that all children have access to food while not at the center. In addition to the food pantry, teachers prepare culturally relevant foods including tamales, pan dulce, and tortillas at the center and when seasonally available, use ingredients from the Rayitos de Sol community garden.
Rayitos de Sol believes that when kids shine, our whole community is more vibrant! Learn more about how you can support the center’s growth and Let Kids Shine!
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