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WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - A new daycare center is set to open in Cape Vincent next month, bringing service to an area the state identifies as a childcare desert.
Little Lighthouse Learners Child Care Center will provide care for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years.
Owner Stacy Richards said the lack of childcare options in the area motivated her to act.
“I just really felt that it was missing in this area, for these families,” Richards said.
A difficult path to opening
Richards began the process in May 2024, submitting an application for the state’s Child Care Capital Program Grant. Over the following two and a half years, she handled inspections, made calls to state officials, and wrote the grant application herself.
She said the process was more demanding than she anticipated.
“It was an arduous process that honestly I didn’t know all the steps and hoops,” Richards said.
Richards said she considered giving up multiple times before reaching this point.
Cape Vincent Town Supervisor Christine Stark said she was struck by what Richards accomplished.
“Oh my goodness, I’m very impressed with all that she’s been able to do because she has navigated a difficult process that we all understand firsthand with all of the grants that we’ve been working through. It’s — it’s a struggle,” Stark said.
Stark added that childcare is central to the community’s future.
“Cape Vincent is a community that can survive with or without a daycare center, but in order to thrive, this community needs to attract families with young children. It keeps our businesses going. It keeps our elementary school alive, and that’s really the future for the cape,” she said.
Grant funding and personal investment
The center was made possible in part by $1 million awarded through the state Child Care Capital Program Grant, along with a significant personal financial contribution from Richards.
Much of Jefferson County and the broader North Country region is considered a childcare desert, according to a state-produced map showing areas of greatest need.
Little Lighthouse Learners is scheduled to open Aug. 3. The center can accommodate up to 44 children, with 19 slots still available. For enrollment information, call 315-501-4010.
