As more than a dozen kindergarteners donned white robes for their graduation from Better Community Life Day Care Center (BCLDCC) in Corona, school administrators were also giving thanks for a reprieve from budget cuts that would have negatively affected the school.
BCLDCC was one of seven day care centers in Queens that was spared cuts that would have left low-income parents without childcare services and forced the organization to lay off a number of employees.
“We are ecstatic and very happy about the news,” said BCLDCC Coordinator Lillian Dabbs.
In the budget agreement legislators reached recently, they restored $8 million in proposed cuts to New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), which provides center based childcare to low-income children, including in Queens. The deal saves hundreds of classrooms for children and about 93 jobs in New York City.
“Restoration of these proposed cuts was the right thing to do for our working families that are trying so hard to create a better future for their children,” Queens Borough President Helen Marshall said in a statement.
The seven Queens day care centers saved from budget cuts are: Better Community Life Day Care Center, Queensbridge Day Care Center, Malcolm X Queensbridge Day Care Center, Omega Psi Phi Frat Early Childhood Education Center, Laurelton Springfield Day Care Center, Hammel Child Day Care Center, and National Sorority Phi Delta Early Childhood Education Center.
“Every child should have access to quality day care. These cuts didn’t make sense and would have only hurt New York later on,” said City Councilmember Eric Gioia, who represents areas where some of the day care centers are located.
If the cuts were not prevented, some centers might have been forced to close its doors or at the least shut down some of their classes.
BCLDCC President Janice Scurry said the cuts would have forced her to shut down a class, which would have cared for and educated 20 children. It would also have forced her to lay off three employees and possibly reduce the hours of other employees.
“We were truly concerned about our staff and layoffs, about how they would manage out there with the economy,” Scurry said.
Some parents said they need this inexpensive service in order to continue working or to take classes. Ron LeBlanc, a single parent, said that, because of the day care center, he is able juggle a number of part-time jobs.
“The families need service so that they can work, go to school and feel confident that their children are safe,” Dabbs said.
Some parents also said that the day care helps prepare their children for first grade. It teaches them things that the parents cannot because of time constraints.
Andrea Taveras has two children attending BCL since they were 11 months old.
“He learns a lot here. That makes me happy. Now he’s going to regular school, he’s more prepared,” Taveras said.
