The Mayflower Hotel in Queens, New York, is one of the hotels around the city that is accommodating hundreds of asylum seekers. The majority coming from Latin America, as well as Eastern Europe and Africa. It is also the only hotel where an Emergency Safe space for early age children exists.
The space in Mayflower hotel serves around 30 children between ages 2-4 that lost their home and country and find in the space a stable routine, love and care, opportunity to connect with other children and the ability to develop various social and emotional skills.
The hotel is being run byEarly Starters, the Community Mediation Services, sesame workshop, and together with the JCCA, programs in mental health and family services are also being provided.
Early Starters is happy to join forces with JCCA, Community Mediation Services and Sesame Workshop in order to continue operating the created space as long as there will be a need.
The space is run by mothers who are residing in the hotel, who are from the same community and speak the language, and who have a background in education and working with children. They are going through pre-program training with ESI staff, as well as have close accompaniment during the program in order to provide quality early childhood activities to the children of the hotel.
