Impact Story

Caring for Kids and Nurturing Community

"They don't just teach my grandkids—they love them."

By Naette Yoko Lee PhD

Two children sitting with a woman in a chair.

For Cassandra Terry, Crosstown Learning Center is a lifeline. Her grandchildren, Sarai and Jackson, are thriving in a space that nurtures their entire family. “Anything I need personally, they’re willing to help,” she shared. “I’ve actually made friends with the teachers here.”

According to Harvard University, up to 90% of brain growth happens before age 5, making quality early learning essential for lifelong success. Yet families face a childcare crisis. High costs and limited access leave millions of young children without the care they need to thrive.

In response, Crosstown, a Tulsa Area United Way partner, has become a cornerstone of the Kendall Whittier North neighborhood. The center offers nationally accredited, five-star early childhood education.

By the end of the school year, we saw a drastic change.”

Tameca Burkhalter, a longtime teacher, remembers a boy who’d been turned away from other centers. With support and structure from her team, his transformation was profound. “By the end of the school year, we saw a drastic change,” she said.

For Paul and Allison Mihos, the search for child care meant finding a safe place for their children, Eleni and Tommy. Allison, a Pre-K teacher, was stunned by the level of detail in her daughter’s care. “Even when our daughter was just eight months old, they had lesson plans—tummy time, practicing holding a spoon,” she recalled. “I couldn’t believe it”.

It Takes A Community

A child and adult playing at a table in a classroom

Theresa Noonan is a grandma on a mission. Every week she volunteers at Crosstown Learning to help out with her three-year-old grandson Miles and his friends. “I think it's important to volunteer,” she said. “It's a community and it takes a community to raise our kids.”

Crosstown Learning Center's Executive Director standing outside Crosstown Learning

Crosstown Learning Center Executive Director Kristina Ellis is a Crosstown kid herself. “I know that early child care and development is the foundation of any community,” she said. “We are raising the next generation of employees, of executive directors like myself.”

An adult reading to a child in Crosstown Learning Center

Allison Mihos is impressed by the level of care her daughter Eleni has received at Crosstown Learning Center. “The ratios were a lot smaller...three babies and one teacher. We were just blown away by the individual lesson plans the teachers were writing.”

Having worked at other facilities, staff member Tameca Burkhalter knows what makes Crosstown unique. For her team, it’s the personal connections that make a community. “Being a part of a bigger facility, you don't always have those personal interactions.”

For Cassandra Terry, Crosstown is an invaluable support system, which nurtures both children and their families. “When you find a program that not only helps the children but the families, I think that that is the best thing in the world,” she said. “So anything that United Way can do to help Crosstown, I'm all for it.”

Executive Director Kristina Ellis, once a Crosstown kid herself, sees the big picture. “I know that early child care and development is the foundation of any community,” she said. This high-quality care is intentionally provided to a mixed-income community of working families, students, and even multi-generational alumni. It’s a place where they treat a wide range of backgrounds as a strength.”

With over 135,000 hours of care delivered to 90 children each year, Crosstown is transforming futures. Standing behind them is Tulsa Area United Way, which mobilizes resources to give more kids the opportunities they need to thrive.

That’s why Theresa Noonan volunteers her time to support the classroom, help with events, and do whatever she can. Theresa’s three-year-old grandson Miles attends the center, and she sees herself as a grandma on a mission, working with United Way to build community.

“We can't help people without United Way.” She says “United Way has become an important part of our community. People need to donate, they need to volunteer, they need to become part of their community.”