A new child care center in Syracuse is hoping to provide relief to working parents in the area.

Access to child care on the city’s South Side has long been a problem, but that changed this week with the opening of Kool Kidz Daycare on Midland Avenue.

What You Need To Know

  • Kool Kidz Daycare has opened on the South Side of Syracuse on Midland Avenue

  • The center provides care for children ages 3-12 and registration is open

  • The center has an arrangement with the Department of Social Services to offer care to families who are struggling financially

Founder Joshua Olantunda, who is CEO of Archway Logistics, said that upon moving to the area recently, he saw the need for childcare options and decided to act.

“Kool Kidz Daycare is a place for kids in the community to come to as a safe place where we provide education and different kinds of recreational sports,” said director Kelly Coyne. “We’re the only daycare facility on Southside for preschool and after-school programs.” 

Located in what is known as a “daycare desert,” the new facility will provide educational daycare options for younger children, as well as after-school opportunities and STEM programs for older kids.

“When the kids get here after school, they’ll have a snack, then we’ll go upstairs and we’ll have teachers who can help them do homework for at least a half an hour or so,” she said. “So that we know they’re getting homework time, and then they can come downstairs and play.”

She says those educational programs will utilize the Reggio Emilia approach, which encourages learning through creativity and is guided by the individual child’s needs.

“They are learning through play,” she said. “The teachers do have lesson plans, but it’s really based off the kid's interests so they are more interested in learning.”

While the center fills the practical void of providing child care for working parents in the area, she stresses that quality early education is a critical part of any child’s development

“They need to start learning and being socialized at a young age,” she said. “I don’t think people realize how important that is and they also need to learn independence.”

The center, which provides care for children ages 3-12 from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, is now open for registration. Coyne says they have established a program with the Department of Social Services to provide financial support to families who are in need of assistance.