Dear Parents,
The Plattsburgh YMCA Bright Beginnings Children’s Center is a not for profit corporation designed to meet your child’s first social experience away from home. Established in September 1997, the center is located on the former PAFB, on Northern Avenue. Bright Beginnings provides a warm, supportive environment for infants, toddlers, preschool and pre-kindergarten children.
Bright Beginnings’ curriculum includes music, art, dramatic play, science, gym, swim, manipulatives, fine and gross motor skills, field trips, and a weekly theme. We encourage a caring and nurtuting environment which challenges children’s imagination and creativity. Additional classes for Pre-Kindergarten are: cooking, sign language and Spainish. There are 6 spacious class rooms designed to meet each age group’s developmental needs. The center also has a “Big Room” for gym class and gross motor skill activities. For safety features, the rooms are designed with a “picture window” which allows for viewing of the rooms from indoors, and large windows to allow sun light to enter the rooms. Each room is equipped with an intercom system and a camera to monitor classroom activities. Parents enjoy watching the children on the monitor to see how their child interacts with their classmates and teachers.
Social Events: Fall Festival, Winter Holidays Celebration and Family Fun Picnic, Workshops for parents "Ready to Learn", presented by Mountain Lake PBS.
I look forward to meeting you and your children!
Jacqueline Prather - Child Care Director
Our Staff
All staff must have a state clearance, finger print check and reference checks in order to be a child care provider. The staff prepares developmentally appropriate activities, both teacher and child directed, as part of the program’s daily schedule and curriculum. All staff are required to complete a total of 30 training hours pertaining to the principles of childhood development, nutrition and health, child abuse and prevention. All staff are CPR and First Aid certified.
Gym & Swim
Gym class starts in the fall through the spring, and is an opportunity for children 18 months through pre-kindergarten to participate in exercise, dance, and play group activities. The class meets one time per week in the “Big Room” and focuses on the following skills: listening, following directions, hand-to-eye coordination, movement to music, and small and large muscle development. Pre-school children ages 3-5 years enjoy a bus ride with their teachers to the YMCA once a week for swimming lessons. Our goal is to help your child become comfortable in the water and encourage them to become independent enough to try some swimming skills. Swim lessons are taught by the YMCA certified Aquatic Staff. An observation area is located up on the first floor of the YMCA for parents who wish to go and observe.
Play
In addition to the 6 spacious classrooms, the center has a “Big Room” for play, gym class and gross motor skills activities. This room is particularly beneficial during the winter months. In the classrooms, the Dramatic Play area is the most used interest area. In this area the children and their teachers enjoy interacting with one another. The Block Area comes in second. Both Interest areas challenge children’s imagination and creativity. The center also has 4 separate age appropriate playgrounds with toys and equipment for climbing, running, and riding bikes.
Nutrition
Our center participates in the Child and Adult Food program. This program is provided through the New York State Health Department. The kitchen management staff prepare and serve three nutritious meals. All meals are included in the tuition. A four week menu cycle will be followed in compliance with the NY state regulatory guidelines. Our center has been recognized by the state for offering the children a varied menu with frequent servings of fresh fruit and vegetables, even during the winter months.
Tuition
To enroll, there is a $25 non-refundable registration fee for the program. Tuition will be paid on every other Monday for the following two weeks regardless of the child’s absence. There is no charge for the scheduled full week closures in August and December. This policy was developed to ensure financial stability to the center and to ensure a high quality program.
There is a 10% discount for the oldest child.
Bright Beginnings Children’s Center
Bldg. #62 Northern Ave.
Plattsburgh, NY 12903
Phone (518) 562-1174
Director – Jacqueline Prather
Assistant Director – Vickie Erb
Group Age
Infants 6 weeks – 12 mos.
Waddlers 12-18 mos.
Toddler I 18-24 mos.
Toddler II 2-3 yrs.
Preschool I 3 yrs.
Pre-K 4-5 yrs.
Hours of Operation
The center is open Mon. – Fri. , all year, from 6:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. We are closed for one week in the summer and for one week in December. Parents do not pay tuition for these weeks. The center is also closed for major holidays.
[ BACK TO CHILD CARE ]
Click here to view the Bright Beginnings brochure
