Jewish Family Services gets grant to provide child care for immigrant families

Jewish Family Services of WNY is refurbishing and expanding its space to allow for child care and other services at 70 Barker St., thanks to a $400,000 grant from Empire State Development.

The human services agency helps the region’s growing immigrant and refugee population, and says child care will help them better serve this vulnerable population as they adjust to their new surroundings. Classrooms will be attached to a child care room, allowing parents to drop their children off while attending educational sessions.  

“We know that the lack of child care is a stressor on families who are establishing lives in a new country while overcoming the trauma of displacement,” said Molly Carr, Jewish Family Services’ CEO. “This important service will relieve that stress, provide a basic need and help families to advance toward their economic and personal goals, and make the fabric of our community even stronger.”

The expansion project also received financial support from the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council.