A Message from BCCA

Dear Friends:

In light of the seriousness of the Coronavirus COVID 19 outbreak,  the Belmont Child Care Association’s Anna House closed its doors yesterday, March 17, in alignment with Nassau County school protocols.  

As the doors of Anna House have unfortunately closed, and upcoming events have been postponed, the staff of the Belmont Child Care Association will be working remotely as we continue to be true to our mission to serve the children and the families of the backstretch.  While all of these measures are necessary, they do come with financial consequences for our organization as we have a large overhead which must be maintained during this closure. We are monitoring the situation closely and working with our Board of Directors to take precautionary measures to cut costs and assist our families.

We thank you for your incredible support of our programs and we look forward to a return to normal operations for everyone at Anna House and for all of our friends in the community.

Please visit our website to stay up to date as more information becomes available. 

With gratitude and appreciation, 

Belmont Child Care Association, Inc

Congratulations to the 2019 graduates!

When I grow up , I want to have my own train station.

On June 18, 2019, six, Anna House preschoolers were awarded diplomas as they prepare to head off to Kindergarten in September at the nearby public schools. NYRA President and CEO, Dave O’Rouke, BCCA Chairman, Michael Dubb, BCCA President, Libby Imperio, and Legislator, Laura Schaefer were all in attendance to cheer them on. Thanks to a donation from Floral Park Memorial High School's National Honor Society, each of the graduates was presented with a backpack full of school supplies in addition to their diploma!

President Libby Imperio reading the book, “When I Grow Up” by Julie Chen.

Graduates singing the Ghanian song “Cheh Cheh Kule” which translates as Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.

Graduates and the Anna House Staff.

When I grow up I want to be a ballerina.

When I grow up I want to have my own train station.

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BCCA HOSTED THE 2019 SPRING FLING LUNCHEON ON THURSDAY, MAY 30

FUN AND FASHIONABLE FUNDRAISER

In homage to the longstanding hat-wearing tradition at horse races, guests wear hats to the Spring Fling luncheon. The fashionable fundraiser, held one week before the annual Belmont Stakes (June 8), included a fashion show By Veronica Beard, Americana Manhasset and an auction where guests bid for part-ownership in a thoroughbred racehorse.

“Our mission is to provide a safe, supportive and academically inspiring environment. We are committed to promoting early childhood education, molding young minds and encouraging the fulfillment of dreams,” says Joanne K. Adams, Executive Director, Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA). “The Spring Fling is one of BCCA’s most important events of the year. We honor incredible individuals and organizations from the local community and the thoroughbred racing industry who give their time and resources to BCCA. This year’s honorees, Angela Susan Anton of Anton Media Group, and the National Charity League, Garden City Chapter assisted us in raising funds which contribute to the care and education of the sons and daughters of New York thoroughbred racing backstretch workers who would not otherwise have the means for such trusted and quality child care. Each year as we raise these important funds, we have lots of fun!”

2019 Spring Fling sponsors included The Garden City Hotel, Jackson Family Wines, and NYRA. Top retailers, beauty and health service providers, and the hospitality industry from across Long Island donate in-kind raffles and auction prizes. The Garden City Chamber of Commerce is also a donor.

The 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization was established in 1998 to create a childcare center, Anna House, at Belmont Park providing early childhood education and development programs for the children of New York thoroughbred racing backstretch workers at Belmont Park, Aqueduct Race Track, and Saratoga Race Course.

2018 Holiday Shopping Event

On Saturday, December 1st Belmont Child Care Association, (BCCA)  held its annual Holiday Shopping event at Belmont Park’s Turf and Field Club! Over 500 children from the backstretch families of Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack lined up to “shop” for their relatives. Numerous volunteers from the local community acted as “elves” taking each child around to pick out the perfect gift. BCCA would like to thank all its generous supporters for helping to make this cherished event possible and would like to extend an extra special thank you to the following organizations who helped spread the Christmas cheer: USMC Toys for Tots, NYRA, Coach Realtors – Garden City, the National Charity League, Inc. (Garden City Chapter), Neiman Marcus Roosevelt Field, Sapienza Bakery, and the Garden City Service League of Boys. 

Racing for the Children BCCA on the French Riviera

This year’s event at Saratoga National Golf Course honored Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Saratoga and was our most successful event ever!

2018 Anna House Graduation Day

Congratulations to the Class of 2018 for their graduation on June 19th! Special thank you to Floral Park Memorial High School's National Honor Society for providing each of our graduates with a backpack full of school supplies for Kindergarten in the Fall!

2018 Spring Fling Hat Luncheon and Fashion Presentation

Thank you to our generous donors for supporting BCCA's 2018 Spring Fling Hat Luncheon and Fashion Show at the Garden City Hotel!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

In honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday, our students spent the day celebrating with crafts, green eggs and ham for lunch, and a very special visitor for story time!

ABC's of Life

BCCA is proud to announce the start of the new “ABC’s of Life” program in collaboration with Backstretch Employee Service Team (B.E.S.T.) and Race Track Chaplaincy - New York (RTCANY)! This 10-week pilot program is focused on giving women the tools and knowledge necessary to lead healthier lives, both for themselves and for their children. Each week a professional in their field will come to Anna House to speak with the mothers and lead hands-on classes. Today’s class, “Know your Numbers”, focused on teaching the women about heart health. Thank you to the The New York Women's Foundation for making this amazing program possible!

Dance Program at Anna House

Thank you to Rachel Wever from Center Stage Dance Studio for coming to Anna House to lead an early morning dance class for all our students! Since the inception of the Dance Program last year, our students have learned the fundamentals of dance in a fun and engaging way. Also, starting off their day being active has allowed them to better focus on their lessons throughout the day.

Happy Chinese New Year!

This year, our students celebrated the Chinese New Year by each creating their own Chinese lanterns and learning about the culture and traditions throughout the craft. The celebration was topped off by learning to use chopsticks at snack time!

Happy Valentine's Day from Anna House!

INSPIRING A LOVE OF MUSIC AT ANNA HOUSE: When it came time to write her Christmas list last December, 10 year old Anna House student, Marleny had only one thing that she really, really wanted: A violin! 

Marleny has been attending the Anna House child care center since she was a baby and developed a love of music through our music program. She began studying violin in Fourth grade at Stewart Manor School, but did not have her own instrument to practice on at home. Thanks to a generous donation last year from the community, Marleny’s Christmas wish came true and she received her very own violin. 

BCCA Executive Director, Joanne K. Adams was touched when Marleny asked her to attend the Holiday Concert at her school. “Sitting in the audience and listening to Marleny play just confirmed for me that BCCA truly does inspire a love of learning and a love of music in our students thanks to our wonderful programs at Anna House, and most especially, the funding we receive through the Angela and Scott Jaggar Foundation for our incredible music program.”

TEACHING OUR CHILDREN TO GIVE BACK: Anna House children made homemade Valentine’s Day cards for the young patients at the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island. Ronald McDonald House volunteers, Jan and Sal Sanseverino, visited Anna House to pick-up the cards for the children and their families to be distributed on Valentine’s Day. 

“When the children are given opportunities to help others, it brings them joy, warms their heart and teaches them life-long lessons.” said Anna House Assistant Director, Jennifer Rivera. "They have been given so much support from our community that we want to instill in them a sense that you can’t just take but you must also give back."