Grace Jones Community Center

The Grace Jones Community Day Care Center, Inc. is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, more specifically to provide quality education, while nurturing a child’s body, mind, and spirit. The Grace Jones Community Day Care Center has been caring for the children of working families in the Florida Keys since 1958 when Grace Jones, a Bahamian immigrant, recognized the lack of services for minority children in our then racially segregated society. Our “namesake” founded the Center over a half century ago so that all children in the Florida Keys had an equal opportunity to thrive and succeed. While the 60+ years of service by the Center can largely be perceived as a year-round delivery of award winning day care services for the children of working families, there are several milestones along these six decades that stand out. The Center, year after year, continues to achieve the highest ratings (the prestigious Gold Seal School Award) from the State of Florida regarding our certifications, program delivery, and general effectiveness.

The Center is one of the finest day care centers in the entire United States serving the children of 85 working families in the Florida Keys who are the essence of our service, construction, tourism, and fishing economy. While the parents of working families in Marathon and the Middle Florida Keys must sometimes balance two and sometimes even three jobs to meet their household budgets, the Center provides what the State of Florida says is the highest level of affordable day care and elementary education, including skill-based development, meals, and a secure environment for children (including some with various disadvantages including delayed development, isolation, and neglect). The Center routinely earns a perfect 100% yearly assessment score provided by Wesley House, the entity responsible for licensing and partially funding day care organizations in the Florida Keys.