There is a new place open for Niagara youth to get a head start on life.
The Niagara Falls Boys and Girls Club’s first day care center opened earlier this month, providing much-needed spaces for children while their parents are working. While the center, called Cub Club Early Learning Center, provides this space for families, the nonprofit organization also sees this as a way to be a bigger influence in children’s lives.
“With Cub Club now open, the Niagara Falls Boys and Girls Club can begin supporting a child at just six weeks old and continue walking alongside that young person through school age, athletics, teen programming, leadership, and workforce development, all the way through age 21,” said CEO Rebecca Vincheski during a grand opening ceremony Thursday.
Located at 4520 Military Road, just down the way from Reservoir State Park, Cub Club has room for 76 children, with 16 infant, 24 toddler, and 36 pre-K spots available. So far, 26 children have enrolled, with the center working through a waitlist of families that signed up over the summer. There are 27 staff members on hand as if it were at full capacity.
Open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Cub Club has full-day childcare for parents who are either working or going to school. Along with infant care, they offer a curriculum for toddlers and pre-K kids that works on their developmental skills before they are ready for kindergarten. The programs also do not have residency requirements, so kids from neighboring towns can enroll too.
The location was formerly home to GuildCare Adult Day Care and was planned to be the never-opened Little Legacies Day Care. The Boys and Girls Club bought the building for $1.15 million, with minimal work needed.
Earlier this year, Buffalo Business First had reported there were only 22,000 day care spots available in Western New York for around 80,000 kids up to 5 years old. Vincheski even mentioned hearing about this need from her own staff members.
“We have staff that works in our after-school or teen programs that have kids that can’t find care, so it’s hurting our workforce in other places,” Vincheski said. “So we just thought this was a definite need in our community.”
The Boys and Girls Club is making sure Cub Club is a success, after which they would seek more opportunities to expand day care options. Those looking for day care availability can call 716-282-7181.