Hundreds protest sudden closures of Brooklyn and Queens childcare centers

February 10, 2025 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

Hundreds rallied at City Hall to protest the last-minute closure of five childcare centers. Photo: Office of the Brooklyn Borough President

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CITY HALL — MORE THAN 250 PARENTS, Brooklyn elected officials and others rallied on the steps of City Hall on Thursday to protest Mayor Eric Adams’ last-minute decision to force five popular childcare centers — four in Brooklyn and one in Queens — to close.

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso speaks at Thursday’s rally protesting five childcare center closures. Photo: Office of the Brooklyn Borough President

The four Brooklyn centers include Nuestros Niños (384 South 4th St.), Grand St. Settlement (319 Stanhope St.), Friends of Crown Heights (1435 Prospect Pl.) and Fort Greene Council (972 Fulton St.). All My Children Daycare and Nursery School in South Jamaica, Queens, also faces closure.

The decisions were based on “vastly incorrect data,” according to a release from the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office. In one example, the administration claimed Nuestros Niños in Williamsburg had only four enrolled students, despite the center currently serving 96 students, the BP’s Office said. Another site facing closure, Grand St. Settlement in Bushwick, is at 100% capacity, with 70 children enrolled and a long waitlist.

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso was one of numerous speakers at Thursday’s City Hall rally protesting the closure of childcare centers. Photo: Office of the Brooklyn Borough President

“Mayor Adams cannot be serious about building a city for families if he moves forward with these childcare closures,” said Brooklyn BP Antonio Reynoso, who attended Nuestros Niños as a child. The city owes millions of dollars in late payments to the centers, according to Gothamist.

Thirty minutes before the rally was to start, representatives from the Mayor’s office and DOE said they would set up conversations with the providers next week, the BP’s Office said. “We are committed to working together to find a solution,” a City Hall spokesperson told PIX11’s Dan Mannarino. Enrollment for 3-K and pre-K closes on Feb. 28.

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