Rowland Unified breaks ground for new family center in La Puente

Family Resource Center Coordinator Jennifer Kottke, left, and Community Liaison Irma Almanza have fun saying goodbye to the old portable by painting on it before it is torn down.

Family Resource Center Coordinator Jennifer Kottke, left, and Community Liaison Irma Almanza have fun saying goodbye to old portable by painting it before it is torn down.

By Staff Writer Richard Irwin

It’s been 35 years, but the Family Resource Center and medical clinic in La Puente is finally getting a new building. Rowland Unified broke ground for the new facility this week next to Northam Elementary.

Bulldozers have already demolished the two old trailers used by the dental and medical clinic, as well as the district family resource staff.

Everyone is looking forward to moving into the new 3,200 square-foot facility this summer. The modular building will allow the district to expand its services to students and their families.

“I’ve been dreaming of having our own building for the past 35 years,” said Jane Rosser, director of the Children’s Dental Program.

Rosser remembers the clinic opening in an old Army trailer. She jokes about holes in the roof that would let the rain drip in.

Later, the dental program moved into a much larger trailer where it served thousands of children in the La Puente area.

The district’s dental clinic still serves more than 600 students a year. It offers low or no-cost screening and treatment services for low-income students.

“We help a lot of single parents, as well as large families whose parents already work two or three jobs to support their children,” Rosser said.

She and dentist Lester Lim are very excited about the new building. It will have two dental treatment rooms, with a third room for expansion later.

Next door, the medical clinic will have its own new home. The clinic provides free immunizations. It also offers medical care on walk-in basis to uninsured, low-income children 3 to 18 years old.

Read more in CENTER.