As Carol Klocek leads me on a hard-hat tour this spring of the roomy new facility that now houses the Center for Transforming Lives, we stop\u00a0to look\u00a0out over a spacious landscape that will soon become a playground for children \u2014 but not just any children.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The playground plays a pivotal role in early childhood development, according to mounds of research. Its importance spans physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
In short,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0the place where kids learn to be human.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u00a0become\u00a0stuck thinking about the children who will soon roam this ground below us, designed for resilience, joy, and a first chance\u00a0at\u00a0life. Klocek breaks in.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s 10 times the size of the playground that the kids have now,\u201d says Klocek, the CEO of the nonprofit Center for Transforming Lives, which provides a range of wraparound services for at-risk women and children, from initial crisis support and high-quality child care, to financial education, housing services, trauma-informed family counseling and job training.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it is a very nontraditional playground.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0built specifically with\u00a0intent\u00a0of repairing the neurological damage of trauma. When they go through all the things that they do, when they grow up in places like shelters and housing projects and hotels and all of those places where they just are in containers and concrete and around a lot of the violence, it has a significant physical impact on the brain.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Klocek explains the impact of all of this\u00a0to\u00a0the novice in childhood development.\u00a0I\u2019ll\u00a0have to do some research of my own to gain a full grasp. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Early childhood adversity\u00a0impacts\u00a0the brain, including its so-called alarm system \u2014 the amygdala, which becomes enlarged because\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0constantly on guard. When children grow up in environments marked by instability, trauma, or chronic stress, the amygdala works overtime,\u00a0scanning for\u00a0threats.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Over time, that nonstop vigilance can make kids more reactive, anxious, or\u00a0hyperaware,\u00a0their emotional circuitry tuned to danger rather than discovery.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the same time, the brain regions responsible for calm and control\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0develop as robustly. The prefrontal cortex \u2014 the headquarters for planning, decision-making, and regulating emotions \u2014 can be smaller and slower to mature under chronic stress.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
And because stress hormones disrupt the formation of neural connections, children often end up with fewer or weaker pathways linking the\u00a0brain\u2019s\u00a0key regions. In practical terms,\u00a0they\u2019re missing some of the wiring that supports learning, memory, and emotional balance.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
These effects are not destiny \u2014 children are remarkably resilient \u2014 but they underscore why safe, stable, and enriching environments in the early years matter so profoundly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, what we wanted was a playground where the surfaces, the equipment, the colors, and everything else is designed to counteract that through a sense of simultaneous safety and adventure,\u201d she says. \u201cIt really requires the children to interact with the environment by taking risks in a protected way \u2014 in a creative way.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This is all part of the Center for Transforming Lives\u2019 new complex at Riverside Drive and East Berry.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0a $39 million reimagining of an old Montgomery Ward store and warehouse that opened this spring.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bennett Partners designed the renovation. Beck Construction was the general contractor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The place is nothing short of\u00a0transformational.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Its main components include a trauma-informed Child Development Center for 106 children; an Economic Mobility Center designed as an incubator for female entrepreneurs; a therapy wing; and housing services offices.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And, yes, a healing playground crafted to support single mothers and their children who have experienced trauma and poverty.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe entire building, but particularly the child development center, is trauma informed,\u201d Klocek says. \u201cWe\u2019ve\u00a0used trauma-informed design elements throughout the building, including what are called biophilic elements.\u00a0You\u2019ll\u00a0see lots of the natural elements in the building, including the natural light and then the shapes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The goal of biophilic design is to connect people to nature, which, it is hoped, improves well-being, reduces stress, and enhances cognitive performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Center for Transforming Lives is one of the community\u2019s largest family safety nets, servicing the needs of 3,000 women and children annually through a comprehensive, two-generation and trauma-informed model.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thanks to housing support, early childhood education, economic mobility services, and counseling services that work across generations, parents and children\u00a0establish\u00a0financial security and well-being as a family.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOur services are designed to remove any barriers to success for women with young children experiencing poverty or homelessness,\u201d says Klocek.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There is more to the mission than merely charity. There is an economic development benefit to the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Each family that CTL successfully transitions from homelessness to self-sufficiency saves the community approximately $20,000 per year, CTL says. Last year the agency moved 205 families out of shelters and off the\u00a0streets\u00a0and 81% remained stably housed. Savings are estimated at $4.1 million, according to the nonprofit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fads and trends may come and go, but single motherhood and poverty continue to\u00a0endure in\u00a0society.\u00a0<\/p>\n
New research from CTL shows that in Tarrant County one-third of single mothers with a child under age 5 live in poverty. In some ZIP codes, that number jumps as high as 70%. The Center\u2019s findings highlighted three key factors preventing upward mobility for single mothers, including affordable housing, access to\u00a0child care, and health care.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The report (focused on Tarrant County) states:\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u201cThis research is essential to understanding the challenges faced by single-mother-led families living in poverty and identifying effective ways to support them,\u201d says Bethany Edwards, CTL\u2019s director of research and evaluation at Center for Transforming Lives, and author of the report. \u201cFor the first time, we have a comprehensive picture of the very\u00a0real challenges\u00a0facing these families, from lack of affordable housing to lack of\u00a0child care\u00a0to lack of mental health support. You can really see how these factors play into one another and why it is so difficult for these families to break the cycle of poverty without integrated support.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to Data USA, the median household income in Tarrant County in 2023 was $81,905. For single mothers, the average income is $33,909, while the average rent for a two-bedroom home is $1,700 a month.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDue to the perfect storm of record-high rent rates, lack of affordable\u00a0child care, and wages that have stagnated, low-income families headed by single mothers are simply priced out of the market,\u201d said Carol Klocek, CEO of Center for Transforming Lives. \u201cEven working multiple jobs, single mothers have a difficult time keeping a roof over their children\u2019s heads.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Moreover, Klocek says, government subsidized housing involves as much as a seven-year wait.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The move to the new campus \u2014 its\u00a0100,000 square feet\u00a0dwarfs its old\u00a0building in\u00a0downtown \u2014 will significantly expand capacity to provide services: a 30% increase in families served is projected during the first year.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The new location \u2014 next to a bus stop and four-line bus transfer station \u2014 will also improve community access in a historically underserved area in southeast Fort Worth, where the poverty rate for single mothers with children under age 6 is 71%.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The new building\u00a0replaces\u00a0the CTL\u2019s\u00a0headquarters in\u00a0downtown on Fourth Street since 1954. Then called the YWCA \u2014 which was\u00a0rebranded\u00a0CTL in 2015 \u2014 the nonprofit\u00a0purchased\u00a0the 1928 Elks Lodge in the mid-1950s.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The new complex on Riverside, as best as I can tell, is the organization\u2019s fourth since its founding in 1907.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The building on Riverside was once part of the Montgomery Ward retail empire. The building opened in 1961 as the second Wards in Fort Worth. The first, attached to the mail order house \u2014 before the miracle of Amazon, there was the miracle of mail-order catalogs \u2014 on West Seventh, opened in 1924.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Montgomery Ward shut down stores and operations in the aftermath of bankruptcy in 2000.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The new complex\u00a0also has\u00a0allowed the nonprofit to add a new tool to the mission. Ending the cycle of generational poverty in many instances is best done as an entrepreneur. Many have\u00a0good ideas\u00a0and concepts but\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0have\u00a0the support.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Riverside Coworking, Kitchens & Studios is designed to give women and families the space \u2014 and the support \u2014 to build thriving businesses. Inside CTL\u2019s new Riverside Campus, the incubator pairs practical resources with something rare and revolutionary in the world of entrepreneurship: free drop-in\u00a0child care.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
By removing one of the most persistent barriers for parents, the center opens the door to a more inclusive and sustainable path to economic stability and independence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riverside Coworking is intentionally built as an ecosystem, not just a workspace. Members will find desk options and meeting rooms alongside a 24-hour commercial kitchen, a classroom-style teaching kitchen, a makerspace filled with equipment for artisans and creators, and fully outfitted audio and visual studios for content production.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The amenities include phone booths, a wellness room, printing and Wi-Fi, snacks, and coffee, while free workshops and events foster community and skill-building.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The space is open not only to CTL clients. The public at-large is invited to take advantage of the space, with prices and scholarships designed to keep it accessible to all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The new venture is a natural extension of CTL\u2019s \u201cLevel Up\u201d\u00a0small-business\u00a0program, which has already walked\u00a0nearly 200\u00a0low-income entrepreneurs through everything from business planning to\u00a0financial management\u00a0to marketing. Graduates can apply for a matched-savings grant of up to $5,000, helping them turn a plan into a storefront, a kitchen, or a digital platform.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
With the addition of Riverside Coworking, CTL expects to help launch or expand\u00a0roughly 100\u00a0small businesses annually.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s\u00a0a win-win for individual families and the entire community.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBy combining\u00a0child care\u00a0and other support services within the small-business incubator, we\u2019re unlocking the potential of parents as innovators,\u201d Klocek says. \u201cWe\u2019re\u00a0empowering mothers to pursue their dreams so they can thrive. The two-generation approach nurtures mothers, who are building change, and their children, who will inherit it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to a 2023 report by GoDaddy.com, single-mother entrepreneurs account for roughly one in three women-owned businesses in the U.S. and \u2014 within that group \u2014 69% aspire to grow their business into a small or mid-size company or even a corporation (compared with 52% of women business owners without children). The survey also found that 51% of single-mom microbusinesses were launched within the past three years (versus 39% overall) and that these entrepreneurs were more likely to start their business while still employed elsewhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a way that they can join a community of like-minded women who are all on that path of reaching their dreams,\u201d Klocek says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As we work our way back to a second-story landing overlooking the playground, Klocek points out a live oak tree, which has\u00a0witnessed\u00a0the goings-on here for generations.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t it a fantastic old live oak?\u201d Klocek says. \u201cWe call it the survivor tree because it has survived all the storms and\u00a0change. And then it\u00a0kind of represents\u00a0the families we serve.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Families\u00a0once bereft of hope, are now seeing a future for themselves and their children, thanks to work being done at the Center for Transforming Lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now in a building that matches its mission.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As Carol Klocek leads me on a hard-hat tour this spring of the roomy new facility that now…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":434098,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5138],"tags":[5229,45164,12613,7371,7372,13814,15418,256,358,7453,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-434097","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fort-worth","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-center-for-transforming-lives","10":"tag-economic-development","11":"tag-fort-worth","12":"tag-fortworth","13":"tag-john-henry","14":"tag-nonprofits","15":"tag-philanthropy","16":"tag-texas","17":"tag-top-story","18":"tag-tx","19":"tag-united-states","20":"tag-united-states-of-america","21":"tag-unitedstates","22":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","23":"tag-us","24":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115686035116314577","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434097","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=434097"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434097\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/434098"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=434097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=434097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=434097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}