Friendly Fuld Neighborhood Centers, Inc. began as a nursery program in1904. Lead by Rabbi Solomon Foster, with help from the Fuld and Bamberger families, the program supported immigrant families in their new country. Today the program continues to provide services for children and families including day care, Headstart, school age programs, summer camping, mentoring, job training and placement, and community development technical assistance.

Friendly Fuld Neighborhood Centers' mission has not changed through its 100 year history: to provide a continuum of services to the Newark community, enabling residents to help themselves to a better way of life. By developing a leadership infrastructure, consisting of neighborhood associations and tenant organizations, Friendly Fuld helps residents establish systematic community change. When equipped with needed resources, residents can work collaboratively with public and private systems, and succeed within progressive communities.

Friendly Fuld Neighborhood Center’s Programs

1. Early Childhood
   Friendly Fuld Neighborhood Center operates a full-day developmentally appropriate program for 125 young children. Our early childhood program provides a continuum of services, from infancy through toddler and Kindergarten years.
   • Infant/Toddler servicing children aged through 4 through 18 months.
   • Pre-school serving children 2-4 years of age, and those children to young to meet Abbott Pre-Kindergarten eligibility.
   • Abbott Pre-Kindergarten meets the NJ Supreme Court mandate to serve low income school districts in Newark by providing high quality early childhood education. Friendly Fuld Neighborhood Centers, through a contract with the Newark Board of Education, provide educational enrichment and childcare services, including Wrap Around services and child care services on days the Newark school system is closed.
   • Friendly Fuld Neighborhood Centers Headstart - a fully operational National Education Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Accreditation center, providing full day, full year comprehensive services for children ages 3-5 years old.
2. School Age Child Care
   • Friendly Fuld Neighborhood Centers, Inc. offers after-school program services for students at three locations in Newark’s Central Ward. Program services enhance the social, emotional and educational growth of children and families, and include homework assistance, basic skill tutorials, cultural enrichment activities, technology workshops, and recreation programs. Additional activities include monthly field trips, parent/child workshops, family social activities health workshops, and RIF programs.
   • Friendly Fuld Neighborhood Centers' six week Summer Day Camp offers a non-formal education approach to our summer activities, which include crafts, games, technology workshops, science based enrichment activities, and weekly field trips. The program hosts 150 children each summer.
   • Friendly Fuld Michael Irby Mentoring Program assists young African-American men and women by providing positive role models to teach life skills through academic enrichment, cultural appreciation and personal leadership. The program is a collaborative effort between FFNC, the NJ’s Martin L. King Jr. Commission and Dr. Clem Cuttingham of Rutgers University.
   • The Sports League offers another opportunity for mentorship, through enrollment in baseball, basketball or football skills clinics. Adult role models teach lessons in sportsmanship, diversity and leadership skills.
   • Both the mentoring and sports programs provide the opportunity for a child to form a lasting, caring relationship with a volunteer adult.
   • Friendly Fuld’s summer sports initiative is a 16 week program for Central Ward youth in Little League Baseball and Basketball.
3. Job Services