About the Storefront
The Children’s Storefront works with parents to build their babies’ brains in the first thousand days of life, building a strong foundation for lifelong success.
The Children’s Storefront
The Children’s Storefront is a first-of-its-kind program where parents receive support to build their children’s brains in the first 1,000 days of life (from birth through age 3) through the power of interactive play. With strengths-based coaching focused on responsive and nurturing interactions, families build a strong foundation for lifelong success.
Over the past several years, we’ve become a singular resource in the city – welcoming babies and toddlers, along with their parents and families, to our Play & Learn Center in the heart of Harlem. Our weekly, free classes help parents learn about healthy childhood development and support them in building relationships with other families in the neighborhood.
Our warm, welcoming space has become the village that all caregivers deserve to raise their babies in.
With our core classes, a suite of additional supportive programming, and a network of trusted partnerships and resources, we are able to offer wraparound care to help families thrive.
A Brief History
The Children’s Storefront has a storied history of changing lives in Harlem. Founded in 1966 by poet and activist Ned O’Gorman, the organization began as a one-room center for young children in a Harlem storefront on Madison Avenue. This grew into a formal preschool program, which eventually evolved into a tuition-free, private elementary school that offered a holistic and supportive education to thousands of students.
We’ve had nearly six decades of first-hand experience learning about the strengths of our community as well as the challenges that children and their families face. Over the years, our team recognized that many of our students joined school with academic, emotional, and social challenges that might have been prevented through access to supportive programs earlier in their lives.
Simultaneously, new research was being published that confirmed both the critical opportunity that the first three years of life offer as a foundation for long-term health and learning, and the essential role that parents play in their children’s development.
As a result, in 2019 the Storefront made a bold decision to return to our early childhood roots and develop a program to help parents and other caregivers learn how to support their babies’ brain development.
Our Team
Adeline Medeiros
As the Executive Director of The Children’s Storefront, Adeline leads a first-of-its-kind, free program that empowers parents to build their children’s brains in the first 1,000 days of life through the power of interactive play. With over 15 years of experience in social work, community organizing, and early childhood development, she is passionate about making social change work more effective and impactful for families and communities.
Sofie Diaman
Sofie’s role combines design to enhance program effectiveness, collaboration with coaches, and sustaining partnerships. With a background in early childhood education and psychology, she transitioned from teaching to parent coaching. Her dedication to family and community support, informed by her experiences as a mother and educator, drives her work at the Storefront, where she supports diverse families and values the family-centered approach.
Kaitlin Hines-Vargas
Kaitlin is a passionate and innovative Nonprofit Development professional who has spent two decades working with small and mid-sized NYC nonprofits in the pursuit of sustainability and resilience through institutional and individual donor engagement. The birth of her son and focus on her home neighborhood of Harlem led her to TCS, where she is thrilled to help build and sustain this community resource for fellow parents and their young children.
Daphne Martinez
Daphne Martinez is the Operations Manager at The Children’s Storefront, where she plays an essential role in daily operations and strategic efficiency. She oversees administrative functions and resource management to support the organization’s mission. Daphne enjoys collaborating with a fantastic, dedicated team and contributing to community-focused projects that align with her professional values and aspirations.
Marylin Abreu
One of Marylin’s favorite things in life is learning about the world through a child’s eyes. Her roots as an early childhood educator have led her to TCS. Marylin’s in-classroom experiences and knowledge of child development help her connect with Harlem families to support their child-rearing journey. She loves supporting the community because offering a safe place to play creates positive learning experiences for both caregivers and children.
Alex Haynes
Alex has worked with children in various roles for over 15 years, from sports camps, to family programming, to interactive theater for children on the autism spectrum. These experiences have shown him the importance of supportive, engaged adults in a child’s life. He loves that he gets to take the pressure off caregivers by teaching them how simple and fun it can be to support the growing brains of children.
Christine Martinez
Christine has worked in early childhood education for over 10 years. Her passion for working with children started at age 17; later, she realized that she also wanted to work with parents and caregivers of children in early childhood. Little did Christine know that the opportunity to work with parents, children, and the community at large would arise here at The Children’s Storefront, in a role combining all of her passions.
Maribel Santos
Maribel, a program coach at the Children’s Storefront, guides the development of children aged 3 months to 4 years, ensuring a strong foundation for future growth. With a background in early childhood education, psychology, and human services, and 4 years of nonprofit experience, she is passionate about supporting families and communities and loves witnessing the growth and happiness of the children and their families.
Dana Segal
Dana, a Master’s in Social Work candidate, brings a solid foundation in clinical psychology and caregiver support to The Children’s Storefront. Since joining in September 2023, Dana has been dedicated to addressing caregiver needs through support groups and fostering connections in learn-and-play sessions. Dana takes great joy in witnessing the relationships that children and caregivers build, extending beyond The Children’s Storefront.
Hilary Woodard
Hilary Woodard joins the Storefront as a part-time Development Associate, focusing on fundraising, donor research, acknowledgments, and data management. With experience in non-profit fundraising and development , she is passionate about the impact of early education and is committed to supporting Harlem’s families, believing in the importance of strong community connections for healthy development.
Our Board
Robert Rylee, III
Bob Rylee is a real estate development professional whose work encompasses not only New York City but many major cities across the nation. One of our longest-tenured Trustees, Bob has served on the board of The Children’s Storefront since 1993 and is currently our Chair. He also brings his expertise to our Executive, Finance, Audit, Real Estate, and Development Committees.
Elsie V. Aidinoff
Elsie V. Aidinoff is synonymous with The Children’s Storefront. She has served in many roles — from volunteer, to teacher, to summer camp director — and has been a vital member of our board since 1980. A past President of the Board, she is currently one of our Vice Chairs. She sits on our Executive, Strategy, and Development Committees, and co-chairs our Governance Committee.
Chris Moore
Chris Moore is a Partner at the Orrick, Herrington, & Sutcliffe law firm in New York City, where he specializes in the renewable energy sector, complex tax equity and debt financings, and other significant transactions. Chris has served on The Children’s Storefront’s board for over a decade, and is currently one of our Vice Chairs. Chris is part of our Executive and Real Estate Committees, and he chairs our Audit Committee.
George Weiksner
George Weiksner is the former Vice Chairman of Credit Suisse and has decades of expertise in finance and investing. George has served on the board of The Children’s Storefront for 15 years, and is currently our Treasurer. He sits on the Executive, Finance, Audit, Strategy, and Real Estate Committees.
Christine Moore
Christine Moore is a Professor at Laguardia Community College in New York City. She first became involved with The Children’s Storefront as a mentor and volunteer, and joined our Board in 2019. Christine currently serves as our Secretary. She is the Chair of the Strategy Committee, the Co-Chair of the Governance Committee, and is a member of the Executive Committee.
Orren Alperstein
Orren Alperstein is the Co-Founder and President of the Canavan Foundation. Her long career spanned the fields of publishing, education, and philanthropy. Orren first became involved with The Children’s Storefront as a volunteer, and joined our Board in 2019. Orren is the Chair of our Development Committee, and is a member of the Finance, Strategy, Real Estate, and Governance Committees.
Karen Lundgard
Karen Lundgard is the Chief Operating Officer and Interim CEO of Girl Scouts of Greater New York (GSGNY). She has dedicated her career to community service, taking on roles of progressive leadership at YMCA and GSGNY. Karen joined the board of The Children’s Storefront in 2024, and currently serves on the Strategy and Development Committees. She lives in Harlem with her family.
Christopher Turner
Christopher Turner is the Managing Director of Denham Wolf’s transaction services practice group, leading the team in real estate transactions for New York City nonprofits. Passionate about service to the community, in 2024 he was named a Nonprofit Trailblazer by City & State and NYN Media. Christopher joined The Children’s Storefront’s board in 2024 and serves on the Real Estate and Development Committees. He lives in Harlem with his family.
Dr. Miriam Y. Vega
Dr. Miriam Y. Vega is the President and CEO of Argus Community Inc., which operates community-based health centers throughout New York City. She has devoted her career to making healthcare more equitable and community-focused, and is a HOPE National Public Service Fellow. Miriam joined the board of The Children’s Storefront in 2024 and serves on the Finance and Strategy Committees.
Damian Smith
Damian Smith serves as Managing Director at Marsh McLennan. He has worked in the insurance industry at leading firms throughout his career, and has been part of the Marsh McLennan team since 2020. Damian joined the board of The Children’s Storefront in 2024, and currently serves on the Governance and Development Committees.
