Centro Mater Child Care Services, Inc.

Centro Mater Child Care Services (CMCCS) was founded in 1968 by Mother Margarita Miranda Otero- a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart in Cuba- who recognized a desperate need for child care services among the newly exiled Cuban families in Miami. Miranda Otero established the organization in an effort to provide the necessary care and protection for South Florida's growing immigrant youth population, facing an increase in latchkey children, mothers' as head of household and more women join the work force to obtain financial independence in a foreign land. Over time, the center expanded its reach, from the streets of Little Havana, to Hialeah Gardens, and eventually, Hialeah. These expansions allowed Centro Mater to service, previously undeserved neighborhoods where immigrants suffering from socio-economic disadvantages have historically concentrated. And while founded upon a Cuban and Catholic base, Centro Mater serves children and families of every nationality, faith, and race- over 1,200 annually, over 60% of which belong to single mother households.