The BC CENTER AT SUNY BROOME HAS BEEN OPERATIONAL AT THE COLLEGE SINCE 1975, PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY CHILDCARE FOR STUDENT PARENTS AND STAFF.

The B.C. Center has served as a host school by offering field experience opportunities to students in the SUNY Broome Early Childhood/Teacher Education Department, providing students firsthand visibility into what a childcare program looks like.

"They're really good at communicating, and I'm able to go visit my daughter and breastfeed her during the day, which is huge for me, for our little daughter.

I've been really blown away, I think it's a really great program to have," says Isabelle Depa, a Nursing student at SUNY Broome that utilizes the BC Center

AFTER RECEIVING A LETTER ANNOUNCING THE DOWNSIZING ON MAY 9TH, SOME OF THE PARENTS WHOSE CHILDREN ATTEND THE CENTER ORGANIZED A RALLY.

Isabelle Depa, A STUDENT IN THE NURSING PROGRAM AND MOTHER OF TWO FEELS THERE WAS NO CONSIDERATION INTO HOW THIS WOULD AFFECT PARENTS.

"I kind of felt like the rug was pulled out from underneath us. Having there not been some kind of discussion beforehand of just like what the student parents thought", says Depa. 

THE DOWNSIZING WILL INCLUDE CUTTING CLASSROOM SIZES AND STAFF IN HALF... TURNING what was previously 40 SPOTS FOR CHILDREN INTO 20.

Dr. Carol Ross-Scott, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR FACULTY-STUDENT ASSOCIATION OF BCC Inc. SAYS THAT THE PROGRAM HAS SEEN A LOSS of money SINCE SHE STARTED IN 2017.

She says THE DECISION to downsize the center is a DIFFICULT, BUT NECESSARY decision to make.

"It's just gotten to the point where $150,000 all the way up to $200,000 is a loss that we cannot sustain", says Scott

CAROL SAYS SHE WILL CONTINUE TO LOBBY FOR SUPPORT TO BRING THE PROGRAM BACK TO FULL OPERATIONAL CAPACITY, INCLUDING TRYING TO BECOME ACCREDITED.

THE GROUP of parents and staff rallying have STARTED A PETITION ADVOCATING TO KEEP THE PROGRAM, WHICH HAS OVER 200 SIGNATURES AS OF May 16th.