There’s a little respite this week for families who were blindsided by the Contra Costa JCC’s sudden closure in December. The Jewish Federation of the East Bay has partnered with the Jewish Community Foundation of the East Bay to send checks to 67 families who had prepaid tuition for the center’s preschool before it closed.
A total of $158,576 was distributed to those families, who were faced with new tuition bills as they enrolled their children in other preschools. Joanne Neuman, the federation’s director of development and communications, added that the federation also worked with families to help place their children in new schools.
The foundation board approved loaning the funds from two restricted endowment funds that were being held for operational uses at the Contra Costa JCC. The loan will be paid back when the Walnut Creek property eventually is sold.
Neuman said the foundation has received several notes of appreciation from the families. “On behalf of the federation and the foundation, we’re very pleased to make certain that every family involved can continue the Jewish education they desired for their children, and we hope that everyone feels supported in that,” she said.