OGDENSBURG, New York (WWNY) – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand spoke with people in Ogdensburg Friday afternoon about $2.1 million in federal funding that will go towards building a new child care center on the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority’s property.
“Child care is really important for our communities. It’s also really important for our economy, it’s important so that people can go to work so they can can create businesses and they can provide for their family,” said Gillibrand.
This new child care project was announced back in 2021.
At times it can be a challenge to find child care in the North Country. Often, existing care centers are full or have a waiting list to enroll new children.
On top of the money for the Port Authority, steps are being taken to secure other funding to get the center built.
“It’s been a little bit of a challenge to get this project underway, but especially with the funding that Senator Gillibrand has secured through the USDA Grant for Rural Communities, it certainly kick started the project and has led us to other funding sources,” said Toni Kennedy, Board Member of the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority.
“It’s really hard in a community like this if we don’t have the daycare slots for the number of kids that we have. Because without it, parents may have to stay home longer than they had wanted to. It means families will not have the resources that they need, and it means those kids don’t get that early socialization that’s so exciting for them to go and see young kids their age,” said Gillibrand.
Overall, the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority childcare project will cost $4.7 million to build.
The building will be 15,000 square feet and will provide 300 families in the area with child care.
After construction is complete, The ARC Jefferson-St. Lawrence will run the center.
Bridge and Port Authority officials say that they expect the groundbreaking to happen sometime next year and for doors to open in 2025.
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