BMCC student Ana Portnoy has two daughters, and both have been enrolled in the college’s Early Childhood Center since 2006. “I could not have attended school without the services provided by the Center,” Portnoy recently wrote in a letter to Inez Dickens, majority whip of the New York City Council. “So, on behalf of my daughters and myself, I want to thank you so much for your support.”
Portnoy was referring to the renewal of a $30,000 Council grant enabling the Center to expand its weekend programs for the school-age children of BMCC students, making it easier for their parents to balance the complex demands of work, parenting and academics. “We’ve long provided Saturday services for preschoolers,” says the Center’s director, Cecilia Scott-Croff. “But it was the Council allocation that’s allowed us to jump-start a weekend program that serves school-aged children as well. Their support has been indispensable.”
Freedom from worry
Many BMCC student parents would apply that same adjective to the center itself. “While there are other day-care options, the value of having an early childhood center on site at BMCC is that it gives student parents the peace of mind that comes from knowing their children are in a nurturing and enriched environment,” says Scott-Croff. “Parents can attend school all day and not to have to worry about the care of their children.”
Located on the third floor of BMCC’s Chambers Street building, the Center serves pre-school and school-aged children on site from 7:45 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday. In addition, home-based services are available to families with children younger than two. The Center is also a site for one of the New York City Department of Education’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten Programs, which provides an enriched learning environment for four-year olds.
“We’re incredibly grateful to the City Council, and especially to Speaker Christine Quinn, for their support. I’m also grateful to Anglela Sales, BMCC’s Director of Community Affairs, for her assistance,” says Scott-Croft. “The funding is already making a profound difference in the lives of our students and their children.”
