By: Vanessa Smith

Buffalo State College is celebrating 30 years of naptime, story time and playground games.

The on-campus Child Care Center takes care of the children of BSC students, faculty and staff, with children ages 6 weeks to 5 years.

The Child Care Center is licensed by the New York state Office of Children and Family Services and is accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs.  For 26-year-old Krista Vazquez, who sends her 2-year-old to the center, that is very important.

“I heard the center was one of the best in the area and it’s convenient for me as a student,” she said.

Daisy Darling, a graduate student at BSC, sent her daughter there until she was school-age and picked the center for the same reasons.

Now, the center is celebrating 30 years of childcare on campus.

From 6 until 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 27 in the Child Care Centerthere will be guest speakers and a reception with refreshments.

Speakers include SUNY Childcare Coordinator Marcia Brady, early childhood professor Carole Woodard and Chairman Board Director Ellie Fleetwood, with more to be announced.

Center Director Dan Thiel is excited about the prospect of the anniversary, which he describes as a celebration of the center itself.  He added that the celebration is child-friendly but being held mainly for the adults involved in it, including former students who either went to the center or took their children to it.  He encourages anybody with a connection to the center to come to the celebration.

Thiel, who has been with the center for 11 years, said the event is also to celebrate the longevity of its workers- many of the full-time staff has been there for at least five years and some for over 15.

The center’s hours are:

For more information on the center or the 30-year anniversary, call 878-5335 or log on to http://www.buffalostate.edu/offices/bscchild/.

Contact info: smitvl09@mail.buffalostate.edu