CENTER TO AID TEEN MOTHERS CLEVELAND HIGH FACILITY TO SERVE STUDENTS, LOW-INCOME FAMILIES.

Byline: Jennifer Radcliffe Staff Writer

Bright plastic dump trucks are already positioned in the sandboxes and finger paints are waiting on the knee-high tables.

All the Cleveland Early Education Center needs are some toddlers to come do the dirty work.

As soon as its first class of youngsters enrolls, the $6 million center will provide child care on the Cleveland High School campus for teenage mothers enrolled in the school, as well as children of low-income families in the community. The Los Angeles Unified School District has seven similar facilities, including one at San Fernando High School.

``They identified the surrounding area as a critical-need area for child care,'' Cleveland High School Principal Allan Weiner said. ``There's a lot of adults who have children between the ages of 2 and 5 who cannot work because they can't afford to pay for child care.''

The center will open to 18 infants, whose mothers are students at Cleveland High, and 120 preschoolers of low-income parents who are working, going to school or searching for jobs.

Teenage parents who send their babies to the center will be taught about nutrition and parenting techniques. They are required to be involved with the center and their children.

Workers hope that portion of the program will help young mothers finish high school and spread the message to their peers that being a parent isn't easy.

In Los Angeles County, the number of births to teenage girls ages 15 to 19 dropped by more than 3,000 from 1997 to 2001 - from 18,645 to 15,550, according to a report last week.

``We're not saying it's great, but since it's happened to you, we're going to support you,'' said Karen Bowles, principal of the new Cleveland Early Education Center.

The LAUSD has 103 early education centers that help prepare about 12,000 children for school. The state provides $106 million for the centers and the school district chips in an additional $5 million, said Carmen Schroeder, assistant superintendent of the early childhood education division.

While only a small fraction of the service targets teenage parents, it's an important component, Schroeder said.

``If we don't have this kind of program, the girls don't go to school,'' she said. ``We want to support our teen moms to help them get their diplomas.''

The infant program, which is limited to Cleveland High students, is expected to open in September. The preschool program will open when a class fills, but enrollment is off to a slow start, officials said.

Bowles said she's confident it will pick up once neighbors learn that the center is ready to open.

``We're not worried. We know they'll come,'' she said. ``As the word gets out, it won't take long to fill up.''

For more information on the Cleveland Early Education Center, call [phone].

Jennifer Radcliffe, [phone]

jennifer.radcliffe(at)dailynews.com