Federal Funds Help Reopen Childcare Facility Shut Since Sandy
A vital childcare center in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge that has been closed since Hurricane Sandy will soon reopen, thanks to an infusion of federal cash. The Hamilton-Madison House’s Childcare and Family Support Center, located within the Alfred E. Smith Houses complex operated by the New York City Housing Authority, was wrecked by flooding in 2012 and has remained shuttered ever since.
But a Community Project Funding grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development contained in the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 has awarded the organization $1.7 million for capital improvements, such as wall replacement, floor and ceiling repair, and painting, along with HVAC and electrical upgrades.
United States Congressman Dan Goldman, who led the push for this funding, said, “Hamilton-Madison House’s work to provide children and families with the services and resources they need is vital to the Lower East Side community. And repairing the damage left behind by Sandy more than a decade ago will bring back this historic and invaluable institution.”
Isabel Ching, executive director of Hamilton-Madison House, noted that this grant is the largest ever received by Hamilton-Madison House in its 126-year history. Once re-opened, the center will offer free services to more than 100 Lower Manhattan families, including education and meals for children, and family enrichment activities for parents.
Hamilton-Madison House, which also operates three other locations in the Two Bridges neighborhood, has been serving the Lower Manhattan community since 1898. Its 300-plus staff members speak 15 languages, including six Chinese dialects. In addition to early childhood education, the organization also provides health and social care for older adults and immigrant support programs.
In a separate (but related) development, Mr. Goldman announced last week that he had also prevailed upon the Department of Health and Human Services to award Hamilton-Madison House an additional $1.4 million Head Start grant, which will fund school readiness for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.