Christine Ellington-Rowe

How many children does UBCCC serve?

UBCCC has two facilities, one on the South Campus and one on the North Campus. We serve a total of 220 children between the ages of 6 weeks and 5 years of age: 16 infants, 24 toddlers and 49 preschoolers at the South Campus facility and 32 infants, 36 toddlers and 64 preschoolers at the North Campus site.

Is there still a waiting list?

Yes, there is a waiting list. However, this should not discourage parents from applying, as the waiting list is fluid. When a spot opens up at the center, there are times that the next family on the waiting list may not accept it because they’ve moved or grandma has decided to take care of the child. There also are times when the next several families on the list are no longer interested in the open spot because they have made other child care arrangements. And because there are three semesters of child care—fall, spring and summer—the waiting list is always in motion. Getting your name on the waiting list is good because you will always receive a phone call from UBCCC as we go through the list.

What’s the center’s philosophy?

Briefly, UBCCC believes in holistic development of the child, with a respect for individuality, partnering with parents and guiding children to have a healthy relationship with themselves and others.

The center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). What exactly does this mean?

Being accredited by NAEYC means that UBCCC meets the highest early child care standards in specific areas, such as staff qualifications, curriculum, assessment, building size and space for classrooms and outdoor play, developmentally appropriate equipment and materials, management policies and procedures, and fiscal accountability. It is an esteemed accreditation and UBCCC is one of a handful of early childhood programs in Western New York that has attained NAEYC accreditation.

How does the UB Child Care Center differ from the Early Childhood Research Center in Baldy Hall?

Both the Early Childhood Research Center and UBCCC provide exceptional developmental care for young children of UB families and families in the community at large. The differences between the two programs are in program structure, operation, budget and age of child population served.

The Early Childhood Research Center is part of the Graduate School of Education; administrative staff are employees of UB and classroom staff are doctoral students. It serves as a laboratory for students and follows the university calendar. Toddler and preschool children can be enrolled in a half-day program or one full-day program. There is a tuition charge.

UBCCC is a non-profit run by an 18 member board of directors. UB provides facilities and maintenance. UBCCC staff are not UB employees; salaries are paid through weekly child care payments. UBCCC services several UB departments by accepting interns and students needing to fulfill course projects. UBCCC also is used for research by some UB departments. UBCCC is open 12 months a year from 7:15 a.m. to 5:45.p.m. weekdays and serves children from 6 weeks to 5 years of age. The center offers both full-time and part-time care. We are licensed as a day care facility by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

What makes the UB Child Care Center unique?

UBCCC is unique because we offer year-round exceptional developmental care for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, five days a week, 10 ½ hours a day using evidence-based practices, such as “respectful care-giving”—the belief that young children give cues that help caregivers determine the child’s needs. In this way the child is the initiator who does the leading. At UBCCC, a child’s individual spirit is regarded as a gift to be honored and encouraged to actualize.

UBCCC: where the legacy begins.