A combined $1.8 million was restored to the Swinging 60\u2019s Senior Center and the Small World Daycare Center in Williamsburg
\nWillamsburg, Brooklyn \u2013 Today, Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn and Council Member Diana Reyna announced that the City Council successfully restored over $1.8 million to keep the Swinging 60\u2019s Senior Center and the Small World Daycare Center open. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Assemblyman Joe Lentol and Council Member Steve Levin \u2013 who were instrumental in saving the centers \u2013 joined the Speaker and Council Member along with seniors and staff of Swinging 60\u2019s, and the children and teachers of the Small World Daycare Center, to celebrate the full restoration of both programs.<\/p>\n
\u201cCaring for our most vulnerable New Yorkers \u2013 children and seniors \u2013 is a top priority of the City Council,\u201d said Speaker Quinn. \u201cWith this year\u2019s budget, we were able to save beloved and proven programs like the ones we\u2019re here celebrating today. Leadership means working collaboratively to get results for New Yorkers and that\u2019s what happened here. I thank everyone who fought to save these centers but want to especially thank Council Member Reyna who worked tirelessly on behalf of this community to keep these facilities open.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor over four decades, Swinging 60’s and Small World Daycare have cared for Greenpoint-Williamsburg’s seniors and children,\u201d said Council Member Reyna. \u201cSwinging 60’s and Small World were established by community members who saw a void in locally based senior and child services; it is my duty as the local elected official to uphold this legacy and to ensure that our senior centers and daycares are based in the community, serving the community, and supported by the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2012, the City\u2019s Administration for Children\u2019s Services (ACS) released the awardees for its new early childcare program, Early Learn. In what became a city-wide controversy, ACS appeared to give preference to larger daycare networks over single, family-run and community-based centers. Small World Daycare was one of the centers not awarded an Early Learn contract despite serving the Greenpoint-Williamsburg community for over 40 years.<\/p>\n
The elimination of Small World\u2019s contract forced the Department for the Aging to end their contract with Swinging 60\u2019s, the senior center located in the same building as Small World. Both were in danger of being shut down until the Council stepped in and allocated $570,000 for the senior center and over $1.24 million for the day care center.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am elated that the City Council restored a total of $1.8 million in funding for Swinging 60s Senior Center and Small World Day Care Center. This was the right decision, and I was pleased to join my colleagues in government and community advocates in fighting to keep these two crucial community organizations open. Seniors view Swinging 60s as a home away from home, a welcoming haven where they can find good friends and great things to do. For parents, Small World Day Care Center is a lifeline, offering youngsters a great start to their education,\u201d said Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe work they do at this center is so critical to the lives of so many people in my district and preserving it is essential to this neighborhood. They have been doing great work for over 40 years and I am happy to say, their work will continue. I congratulate Congresswoman Maloney, Speaker Quinn and Council Members Reyna and Levin for their hard work in pursuing this funding. The Swinging Sixties Senior Center and Small World Day Care Center is open for business,\u201d Assemblyman Joseph R. Lentol.<\/p>\n
\u201cSwinging 60’s Senior Center and Small World Daycare Center have been community institutions for generations, caring for our neighborhood’s most vulnerable residents. The potential closure of these centers would have been devastating, but thanks to the leadership of Speaker Quinn and the hard work of my colleagues, the senior center and daycare center will continue to provide needed, community-based services for both the elderly and the children of Williamsburg,\u201d said Council Member Levin.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you to Speaker Quinn and Council Member Reyna for their unwavering support of Swinging 60’s and Small World Daycare,\u201d said Frank Guidice, President of Conselyea Street Block Association. \u201cDue to their efforts, we can remain open for at least another year.\u201d <\/p>\n
###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A combined $1.8 million was restored to the Swinging 60\u2019s Senior Center and the Small World Daycare Center in Williamsburg
\nWillamsburg, Brooklyn \u2013 Today, Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn and Council Member Diana Reyna announced that the City Council successfully restored over $1.8 million to keep the Swinging 60\u2019s Senior Center and the Small World Daycare Center open. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Assemblyman Joe Lentol and Council Member Steve Levin \u2013 who were instrumental in saving the centers \u2013 joined the Speaker and Council Member along with seniors and staff of Swinging 60\u2019s, and the children and teachers of the Small World Daycare Center, to celebrate the full restoration of both programs.<\/p>\n
…<\/p>\n