Child care center in Spring Valley at risk of closure
After 50 years in operation, the West Street Child Care Learning center on North Main Street in Spring Valley may close its doors at the end of June if it cannot get funding.
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The West Street Child Care Learning center on North Main Street in Spring Valley may close its doors at the end of June if it cannot get funding after 50 years in operation.
On Wednesday, the center told parents it would close on Feb. 20, but as of Thursday, that timeline has been extended because the school was able to get money from a private source they would not disclose to News 12.
“We were able to get some funding from a private source that came to our rescue,” said Diane Rivera, the center’s chief operating officer. “So we’re going to be open for a little longer — at least the rest of the school year.”
According to Rivera, the financial strain began last March when Head Start of Rockland did not renew funding for the center. She said the loss is about $650,000 — more than half of the center’s total yearly budget. The funding supports a range of services for children, payroll, and summer programing.
“That was a big loss,” Rivera said. “So we’re going to look for other funding and other benefactors, and hopefully we will be able to continue.”
Teachers say the uncertainty has been difficult for families who rely on the center for safe, reliable child care.
“Well, I can only just hope that we get some funding — funding that we deserve,” said teacher Margaret Monteforte. “We serve a community that is in such desperate need of safe child care.”
Monteforte said she spent time comforting parents who feared the center would shut down next week. While the temporary funding provides relief through June, the long-term outlook remains to be determined.
In a statement, the Head Start of Rockland Board said its contract with the center had expired. As a federally funded program, the organization said it cannot distribute money without a formal agreement in place because of strict guidelines. While the board says it extended a contract, it added that the center will need to address its decision on the proposed agreement.
The statement concluded by saying, " we also stand ready to support impacted families in identifying available early childhood options and ensuring continuity of services wherever possible."
