ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Lewis Street YMCA Child Care Center, which closed in March due to COVID-19, has reopened now as the YMCA Center for Equity at Lewis Street.

What You Need To Know

  • The Lewis Street YMCA Child Care Center is now the YMCA Center for Equity at Lewis Street

  • The center has space for virtual learning for students

  • Monroe County provided $150,000 in funding for the new center

YMCA of Greater Rochester and local leaders decided that the community surrounding the center needed more support now more than ever because of COVID-19.

The center will first focus on making sure students who are doing virtual learning will have the space and resources they need to do their work and do well in their classes.

Todd Waite, the vice president of Youth Development for YMCA, said they will ask the community what it needs and develop more programs in the future. 

“Youth activities, youth development, bringing back those programs to this community, and inspiring young people and teaching them through multigenerational programming,” said Waite. “We’re looking at computer classes for our elders ... so we have a second meeting today with the community, and this is going to be a growing process, and we’ll know more as that goes.”

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello, who was at the unveiling for the Center for Equity, said the county will provide $150,000 in funding for the center. Foodlink has also partnered with the center to provide meals and snacks. 

The center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with virtual learning from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and enrichment programming until close.