The SUNY Potsdam Child Care Center, Inc. is a fully licensed, center-based child care facility serving children of SUNY Potsdam faculty, staff and students as well as the community at large.
The center program is based on the philosophy that each child has unique, individual needs and developmental patterns. Experiences planned for the children at the center promote the positive development of emotional, social, intellectual, and physical/motor abilities. Curriculum planning focuses on the child's need to grow and enhances development of a positive self-image.
Classroom staff is experienced and well trained, with staff members attending conferences and workshops on national, state, and local levels. Classes maintain a child to teacher ratio, which is in accordance with state regulations.
The Center is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. during the academic year and 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. during the College's Summer Sessions. Programming is continuous throughout the year except for the following days: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day Weekend, a week in August before the Fall Semester begins, Thanksgiving and the day after, Christmas Eve through New Year's Day and two Staff Development Days.
The Child Care Center, Inc. is located at 185 Outer Main Street in Potsdam. Along with classrooms, gymnasium area, and 2 outdoor playgrounds, the center also boasts an on-site kitchen. Our cook serves a variety of nutritious meals, which meet the strict standards of the Child and Adult Care Food Program, daily. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks are served family style in the classrooms or dining areas.
Two meals and one snack are served daily to the children at the center. Breakfast is served between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. with lunch served between 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 noon. Snack is served daily at 3:00 p.m.
After lunch, a supervised nap provides a chance to rest up for the afternoon's activities.
Outdoor play is included at least once each day when the weather permits.
The Child Care Center is dedicated to expanding and enhancing human potential. It seeks to stimulate the development of each child, support families in raising their children and provide a rewarding working environment for its employees.
Applications are available upon request. You may apply on line by completing the waiting list registration on this web page, call or drop in at the Center to pick one up. After applications are received, they are placed on a waiting list. Enrollment is on a space-available basis with priority given to SUNY students, faculty, and staff of the college.
New York State employees are eligible to enroll in the Dependent Care Advantage Account, which is a flexible spending account for dependent care, allowing them to save money by setting aside pre-tax dollars for child care.