Schenectady Day Nursery Breaks Ground on Expansion Project

Schenectady Day Nursery (SDN), a longtime QUALITYstarsNY participant, just held a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate an expansion project that will increase access to high-quality early childhood education for families throughout Schenectady County, an area recognized as a child care desert due to its limited child care options.

For 123 years, SDN has served over 16,000 families in Schenectady County by providing high-quality early childcare programming for children ages six weeks to five years.  Their proximity to several nearby neighborhoods and walking distance from the local bus route make them easily accessible to children from families who struggle to find available quality child care slots in their community.

“Throughout our history, we have remained steadfast in our mission to support the healthy development of every child by providing a safe, nurturing, and inclusive environment where they can learn, grow, and thrive. This commitment to excellence is reflected in our recognition as a QUALITYstarsNY 5-Star program, the highest quality rating awarded in New York State. The SDN staff and Board of Managers are thrilled that our expansion will enable us to welcome 39 more preschool children through our doors,” said Diane Fisher, the Executive Director of Schenectady Day Nursery.

The expansion will include two new integrated classrooms, a large gross motor activity room that will double as a space for family and community gatherings, and a redesigned first-floor office area with a new vestibule and upgraded security features.

The ceremony was attended by the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) Deputy Commissioner for the Division of Child Care Services Nora Yates, Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, and Senator Jim Tedisco, who all shared words in praise of SDN’s commitment to high-quality and reaffirmed the need for childcare access, inclusion and support for every family.

We are proud to support Schenectady Day Nursery as they work to welcome new families to their community and build upon their legacy of excellent programming and services for children and families in Schenectady County.

“I am thrilled to offer our support to the Schenectady Day Nursery, which has been providing high-quality care to children in downtown Schenectady since 1902. Schenectady Day Nursery, under the long-time leadership of Director Diane Fisher, has a solid history of identifying a need in the community and stepping up to address that need – including partnering with Capital District Beginnings to offer integrated classrooms for children with special needs and partnering with the Schenectady City School District for the universal pre-kindergarten program for 3- and 4-year-olds.”

– Nora Yates, OCFS Deputy Commissioner for the Division of Child Care Services