The Pelham Parkway Child and Family Center opened late last month at 2305 White Plains Rd., welcoming 67 children and 21 staff to the brand-new facility.
Located on the ground floor of a new 50-unit apartment building, the center is operated by the nonprofit Grand Street Settlement, which is now providing services in the Bronx for the first time in its more than 100-year history.
The center officially opened Jan. 29 with a guest performance by singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant, artist-in-residence for the National Head Start Association and visits by local leaders, including Rep. Ritchie Torres.
Grand Street Settlement CEO Robert Cordero said that the foray into the Bronx marked an “historic” moment for the organization.
“Our neighbors in the Bronx are experiencing a child care crisis and Grand Street Settlement is ready to provide the high-quality care that we’re known for. We’re proud to be doing our part to deliver high-quality child care to families throughout New York City,” Cordero said in a statement.
Parent Mariely Liranzo spoke to the Bronx Times about enrolling her 2-year-old daughter, Sarai, into daycare for the first time at the Pelham Parkway Child and Family Center.
As a full-time caretaker for her grandmother, Liranzo said she was struggling to bring Sarai to her grandmother’s apartment and care for both at the same time. “It was a little hard to manage,” Liranzo said.
She said she assumed she would have to enroll her daughter in a Manhattan daycare but was thrilled to learn that the brand-new Bronx location was opening close to home, only about a 10-minute drive.
In the lead-up to Sarai attending full-time, the center was “awesome at transitioning us,” Liranzo said. They attended several short sessions once or twice per week to meet the teachers and become acclimated to the new environment, which was a big step for both Sarai, an only child, and her mother
“It’s been me and her since she was born, so this was the first time I let her go out into the world,” Liranzo said.
After just a couple of days on her own, Sarai was comfortable at the center. “She’s been very popular there for some reason,” Liranzo said, laughing.
She said she loves that her daughter is in a classroom with two teachers and eight kids of the same age and that she maintains familiar routines (especially naptime) while meeting new friends, trying new foods and exploring her independence.
Liranzo said the center has made life easier for her whole family. “I feel like I’m flowing better as a person, as a parent, as a home caregiver, with the fact that my daughter is being taken care of.”
More Bronx parents will soon be able to experience that feeling, as Grand Street plans to open Child and Family Centers this year in Mount Eden, Mott Haven, West Farms and Crotona Park, creating a total of 450 child care slots and 100 jobs for educators.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
