Parents left scrambling after beloved Brooklyn day care unexpectedly forced to close

WABC logo
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Parents left scrambling after beloved day care forced to close
CeFaan Kim reports from Williamsburg with more on Nuestros Niños, a daycare that has been in the community for 50 years.

WILLIAMSBURG, Brooklyn (WABC) -- A community is coming together to support a day care center that has become a staple to generations of families in Brooklyn.

The city's Department of Education announced that it will not be renewing the lease of four community centers and day cares across New York City.

Lease termination notices were handed to the Grand Street Settlement, Friends of Crown Heights, the Fort Greene Council, and Nuestros Niños - a daycare center in Williamsburg that has been around since 1973.

The DOE cited supposed under-enrollment as a reason, but Nuestros Niños says they have a lot of clients using the center.

When Estephanie Garcia walks down the hallways, she sees more than child care. Her 2-year-old son Kai is the third generation of her family to attend the school and it is a connection to her family and to her roots.

"I know that he's fed home-cooked food, food that's very similar to what he's having at home, I know that he is speaking both Spanish and English," Garcia said.

In fact those home-cooked meals are prepared by local grandmothers and specialized for each child's dietary needs.

The daycare is also a rare affordable option in a neighborhood that has becoming increasingly unaffordable.

"We are suffering," Garcia said. "It's already really expensive to live in New York, it's hard to pay a $4,000 rent and pay upwards of 2 to 3 or $4,000 for child care and go to Whole Foods to buy food."

But last week the school learned the DOE isn't going to renew its lease.

"We never got a phone call asking how many children were enrolled or even put us in any plan to ask, OK you're under-enrolled, how we gonna get you better?," said executive director Ingrid Matias Chungata. "Never. It was never addressed. We have DOE folks here every week, they know that our 2-year-old program is full to capacity, our 3K program is full to capacity."

"At the time that we looked at that center, we were paying a million dollars a year rent, but only four children were registered," said Mayor Eric Adams. "That just doesn't add up."

Adams said Tuesday he's willing to take another look.

"If we have our information incorrect or someone didn't register in time for those seats, we're willing to sit down and figure out how every child that wants a seat, every family, will have access to a seat," Adams said.

In the meantime, unless the DOE reverses its decision, June 30th will be its last day.

"We are a Latino-run agency, there's not that many of us left in Williamsburg, and it's led by Latina women that were raised in this community," Chungata said. "What happened to that legacy that we have built over 51 years? That's not important?"

The city had said it will work with each single family to help relocate their children into a new program.

A New York City Public Schools spokesperson released the following statement:

"Closing a program is not a decision that this administration takes lightly, and it is our responsibility to our families and our program providers to ensure that our youngest learners are in programs that are sustainable in their ongoing benefit to the community. This administration has demonstrated its commitment to creating a system that is sustainable, financially sound, and is also nimble to families' needs. That means using data to determine where to open and close seats so that we can reallocate taxpayer dollars to neighborhoods with the greatest need. For the families that are affected by these closures, please know that these changes are not immediate, we have seats available at nearby programs, and we will work with them one-on-one to find the right placement for their children. Our top priority is ensuring every child has access to a safe, nurturing, and high-quality early childhood education, and we will work diligently to make this transition as smooth as possible."

ALSO READ | Immigrants fear Impact of President Trump's policies

Dan Krauth reports from New York City on the fears some immigrants have of President-elect Trump's potential immigration policies.

----------


* Get Eyewitness News Delivered


* More New York City news


* Send us a news tip


* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts


* Follow us on YouTube


Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News

Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.

Copyright © 2025 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.