Join our 2025 Year-End Appeal!

Anna House at Belmont Park and Faith’s House at Saratoga Race Course have become invaluable resources for the backstretch families as parents are able to head to work in the early morning hours knowing that their children are in a safe, supportive, and academically inspiring environment.

In 2021, BCCA welcomed Faith’s House to the family which completed our dream of providing our children with an educational and academically inspiring program during the summer race meet at Faith’s House and year-round at Anna House.

As BCCA continues to combat the annual rising costs of operating two child care centers and providing scholarships for our children, we continue to search for new funding sources in an effort to provide innovative programs and services for the backstretch families at Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack, and Saratoga Race Course.

BCCA Helps to Make the Season Bright for Children of Backstretch Workers and their Families

The Belmont Child Care Association, Inc. (BCCA) is bringing the magic of the holiday season to life once again with our much-loved Annual Holiday Shopping Day on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at Anna House, BCCA’s child care center located at Belmont Park.

Each year, more than 500 children from New York’s Thoroughbred backstretch racing community experience a day filled with wonder and joy as they “shop” for gifts for their loved ones with the help of their very own elf. Every item is brand new, and no money is exchanged. The event is entirely free for families, made possible through the kindness of our donors, sponsors, and volunteers.

Anna House is transformed into a winter wonderland, complete with our cozy Sugar Plum Café, a bustling Holiday Shop brimming with festive gifts, and a special visit from Santa himself. More than 100 volunteers and community members come together, dressed in cheerful holiday colors and festive costumes, spreading joy and warmth as they help to create a magical atmosphere.

Among our volunteers this year is Jazmin, BCCA’s 2025 Volunteer of the Year, an eighth grader and proud graduate of our early childhood education and development and our school-age enrichment programs at Anna House.

“When I was a little girl, the elves made Christmas magical for me,” said Jazmin. “Now I get to help to make that magic for someone else, and that’s what this day is all about.”

BCCA’s Annual Holiday Shopping Day is a day where memories are made and families experience the joys of the season. What begins with a gift during the holidays continues year-round through our early childhood education and development and school-age enrichment programs at Anna House and Faith’s House, where every child is encouraged to reach for the stars: dream BIG, sparkle more, and shine bright as they learn and grow.

Jazmin
BCCA Volunteer of the Year

This year, we need you!

You can help to make this day memorable by donating HERE or through our Amazon Wishlist, where you can participate directly by selecting and purchasing gifts from our wish list. Every contribution helps to ensure that each child experiences the joy of giving and the warmth of the holiday season.

The spirit of the holidays continues beyond our Annual Holiday Shopping Day with Cookies with Santa. Each year, our children arrive at Anna House in their pajamas for story time, cookies, and a special visit from Santa. Each child receives a gift from their personal wish list, creating a moment of joy they’ll remember all year long. Every smile tells a story of hope, generosity, and love. Each gift given and received during this special time is a reminder that even the smallest acts of kindness can make the greatest difference.

Growing Together: How Students Learned About Communities

Our school-age students had so much fun building a cardboard village together! Each child designed and decorated their own piece, and when all the pieces were joined, a whole community came to life before them.

This project wasn’t just about paint and cardboard. It was about teamwork, responsibility, and the joy of belonging. Just like here at BCCA, where families, staff, and children all play an important role, the village reminded our students that strong communities are built when everyone’s contributions come together.

Oh, what a night it was!

Thank you to ALL of our loyal donors

for your unwavering generosity in

support of our vital programs.

We are so grateful to everyone who joined us

last night as we celebrated

2025 Honoree

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners

2025 Humanitarian Award Recipients

Herb in memoriam and Ellen Moelis

A special thank you to

Celebrity Emcee

Andy Serling

Celebrity Auctioneers

Maggie Wolfendale Morley and Tom Morley

Auctiontainer

Letitia Frye

On behalf of the children at

Anna House and Faith's House

we would like to say thank you

for making our dreams come true!

BCCA presents the

Anna House Class of 2025!

BCCA Founder and Chairman, Michael Dubb, and BCCA President, Libby Imperio,

presented diplomas to all of our graduates in front of their proud families.

BCCA is thrilled to announce that our K Prep graduate, Angel,

will be skipping ahead a grade and entering 1st grade this Fall!

We are so proud of all of our graduates and we look forward to following them

on their paths to future success.

Angel

Diamar

Ray

Sophie

Special presentations on the day included:

Presentation of BCCA College Scholarships to

Andres Garcia and Xochilt Solorio

and

Celebration recognizing Bright Horizons K Prep teacher,

Ms. Heydy Diaz, for her 21st anniversary at Anna House.

"Change the first five years of a child's life and you change everything!"

Check out more photos in our gallery below!

Happy Father’s Day from

Anna House to your House!

A very special thank you to Project Cicero for the amazing book donation for Anna House. Our fathers had the opportunity to share stories with their children and bring books home.

The generosity of community partners, such as Project Cicero, is so important to our families.

To all the amazing fathers and grandfathers at Anna House, we thank you for your love, support,

and the special role you play in lives of your children.

2025 Spring Fling Hat Luncheon

Philanthropy in Bloom!

On behalf of all of us at BCCA, we send our heartfelt thanks to our incredible honoree,

Jean Shafiroff, our generous sponsors, donors, guests, and volunteers who made our

2025 Spring Fling Hat Luncheon a record-breaking success!

We were so honored to have two-time Emmy Award-winning actress, Susan Lucci,

as our Spring Fling Honorary Co-Chair.

BCCA sends its gratitude and appreciation to our fabulous 2025 Spring Fling Committee!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Anna House and Faith’s House would not be complete without our wonderful mothers!

BCCA is so grateful for all our mothers in our Women's Literacy Program!

This Mother's Day, our Women's Literacy mothers each received a basket from Families4Families filled with essential self-care items along with a gift certificate from BCCA to treat themselves. We are so grateful to our community partner, Families4Families, for their support of our students and their families. Families4Families mobilizes students to address the critical needs in their communities. Their unique model connects young leaders with grassroots organizations to collect food and other essential items for families in need—empowering youth and communities through collaboration and service.

We are incredibly proud of the growth and success of this program which has played an important role in the lives of these women. The class is not only a place for them to learn English, but also a safe and supportive environment where they feel empowered by learning English, so they can be advocates for their families and themselves.

Congratulations to our mothers on all of their hard work and achievements!

From BCCA, thank you to all our mother for all that you do!

Congratulations Michael Dubb!

Michael Dubb, BCCA Founder and Chairman,

recognized by the

New York Islanders

with the distinguished

Charles B. Wang Community Service Award!

Pictured: Michael Dubb and New York Islanders Co-Owner, Jon Ledecky

The award presentation took place during the New York Islanders vs. New York Rangers game last night at the UBS Arena at Belmont Park.

Pictured: Michael Dubb, Lee Dubb, Steven Dubb, Tracy Dubb, and Selby Drummond

Michael Dubb is the driving force behind establishing the Belmont Child Care Association, Inc. (BCCA). Dubb saw the need, brought the people together to raise the funds, and built Anna House, our child care center at Belmont Park. Four years ago, he fulfilled a long-awaited dream of opening Faith's House, our child care center at Saratoga Race Course. This completed our dream of providing our children with an educational and academically inspiring program during the Summer race meet at Faith’s House and year-round at Anna House.

While Dubb serves as Chairman of the BCCA Board of Directors, he also leads by example. He frequently visits Anna House and Faith's House, participates regularly in storytime with our children, and presides over our annual graduation ceremony. (He has never missed one!)

He is a member of the Board of Directors of the New York Racing Association, Inc., and he is a fierce advocate for the backstretch community, who are the backbone of the Thoroughbred racing industry. Throughout the years he has offered his building expertise to improve the living conditions on the backstretch.

BCCA is thrilled to see our Founder and Chairman recognized with this well-deserved honor. There is no one in the Thoroughbred racing industry that has devoted themselves more to the families and children of the backstretch community than Michael Dubb.

---

To our Founder and Chairman,

Thank you for fulfilling our dream of providing education and enrichment for children year-round at Anna House and Faith's House.

With gratitude and appreciation,

BCCA

"Anna House and Faith's House are the happiest places on the racetrack. Children thrive and their happiness is written all over their faces. We are laying a foundation for a bright future!" — Michael Dubb

---

The New York Islanders Charles B. Wang Community Service Award recognizes the leaders among us within the Metro NY community that have made a special or profound impact on the lives of individuals, families, or the community at large. This candidate exemplifies the same qualities that the Islanders late co-owner exhibited daily: empathy, dedication to positive change, and forward thinking.

Charles B. Wang left an amazing legacy of giving back to the community he loved and called home. He was an entrepreneur, visionary and philanthropist that was admired. His commitment to better the lives of children and the disenfranchised was apparent through his work with various nonprofits and through his creation of The Charles B. Wang Foundation and the Islanders Children's Foundation.

Think BIG for BCCA and Educate to Elevate

BCCA inspires a love of learning in our students.

We are proud to see our students achieve accolades in school. Many are on the honor roll, identified as leaders in their classrooms, and highlighted for their mutual respect of tolerance and diversity.

Get to know our superstar scholars in the video below!

We believe that every child is capable of being extraordinary every day!

Our students go above and beyond in the classroom, participating in reading challenges, working hard in our after-school program, and expanding their knowledge and talents through BCCA's enrichment programs and educational trips.

Our students at Science Saturday!

The school-age students at Anna House participated in The Rockerfeller University's RockEDU Science Outreach Program where scientists volunteered their time and expertise to lead interactive demonstrations in engineering, chemistry, life sciences, medicine, and neuroscience for students in grades K-8.

Our Integrated Arts Program, Children's Movement Program, and Children’s Gardening Program provide our students with the necessary support to succeed in all aspects of their development.

The BCCA Blooms: Nourishing Mind · Nourishing Body · Nourishing Family initiative addresses the multidimensional needs of backstretch families. Focusing on education, nutrition, and strengthening family bonds, our commitment extends beyond child care, as we support the entire family unit through holistic programming.

Our one-of-a-kind organization is changing lives at the racetrack every day as we continue to expand our programs to better serve our families through innovative learning.

Extraordinary Things Really Do Happen Here and we invite you to help us to continue to

Be Transformative as we work to Educate to Elevate!

BCCA is committed to promoting early childhood education, molding young minds, and encouraging the fulfillment of dreams.

Learn about the BIG Dreams of our students in the video below!

Our students are thriving in the classroom. Many succeeding with excellent test scores and good grades. Students who participate in BCCA's programs go on to honor roll status and achieve awards for their stellar schoolwork and talents.

BCCA, now in its third decade of operation, follows the long-term effects of providing a foundation for educational success. We are so proud to see our earliest graduates achieve BIG things using the tools that they acquired at Anna House.

Andres, awarded a BCCA College Scholarship,

is in his first year at SUNY Purchase where he is pursuing a degree in Marketing and Communications.

Along with Andres, graduates Xochilt and Jonathan are succeeding in their respective studies and careers guided by the foundations they received at Anna House and with continual support from BCCA.

One Team, One Dream!

It takes teamwork to achieve success

and we invite YOU to join our team!

Learn how our students spread kindness in the video below!

A gift of any size matters because when we come together, 

we can make a great impact on the lives of our families!

BCCA strives to instill kindness and the value of giving back in our students, as we are all One Team.

Recently, our students participated in the Great Kindness Challenge, lending a helping hand whenever they could.

Our students learned about compassion, empathy, and kindness. The children shared smiles and participated in random acts of kindness throughout the challenge.

Sophie helped Milagro by pulling up her sleeves during lunch time.

Angel and Raymond spread kindness

with a hug after showing each other their classroom art projects.

Helping and hugs all around!

BCCA encourages our students togive back to the greater community.

Anna House students made cards and friendship bracelets

for the children at Ronald McDonald - New York Metro.

The values taught at Anna House are carried throughout all aspects of our students’ lives, from their families at home to broader communities, fostering a sense of responsibility, compassion,

and integrity in everything they do.

Last summer, our students played as a team and celebrated as one too!

On our school-age turf, our students participated in the Anna House Olympics!

They played their favorite sports, learned about sportsmanship, and had some healthy competition.

Through our Children's Movement Program, BCCA aims to inspire active and healthy lifestyles for the children in our care.

Thank you for Thinking BIG for BCCA!

The generosity of our supporters allows us to fulfill our commitment to the families of the backstretch workers with the knowledge that their children will receive an amazing early childhood education program to provide them with a great start toward a better future.

Families4Families

Thank you to Families4Families for another amazing delivery.

On their day off of school, students with Families4Families delivered essential groceries to Anna House. Each bag was filled with healthy items for nutritious meals, helpful cleaning products, and a card hand made by the students. Each card had a gift card to a nearby grocery store inside. The students included kind messages and their own illustrations.

BCCA is so grateful for the support from Families 4 Families.

Our mothers in our Women’s Literacy Program each received one of these generous bags.

Pizza PartY!

To celebrate the last day of February break, our students enjoyed a pizza party at Anna House!

BCCA is so grateful to Spaghettini Pizza Trattoria for the delicious pizza and cookies.

Our students enjoyed every bite!