About the Center

The Center is open Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., with various shifts available, and serves University faculty, staff and students as well as Hospital employees and students. Fees are charged on a sliding scale according to family income.

The Center is staffed by professionals, assisted by University students enrolled in Stony Brook’s Child and Family Studies Program. Under the close supervision of our staff, these carefully selected students function as teacher aides in the classroom. In order to maintain a low child to adult ratio, students who have completed the Child and Family Studies Program are often employed as additional paid assistants. The student-teacher ratio in the 3 to 5 year-old centers is 7 to 1; in the Infant Center, it’s a comforting 4 to 1.

Our primary aim is to provide a warm, supportive and creative atmosphere. Each Mini-Center is “family-grouped”, enabling children to interact with others of different ages. Since children at this stage of their development “learn by doing,” there are plenty of hands-on activities that at times build a child’s self-reliance.

A kid-friendly atmosphere is ensured by our new state-of-the-art facilities, specially designed for child care. Children bring their own lunch. We provide nutritionally sound snacks in the morning and afternoon, that the children help to prepare.

Our staff foster a positive, non-sexist, non-violent and non-authoritarian, multi-cultural environment. Children are encouraged to express their feelings and needs verbally and to respect those of others.

We also help children build positive self-images. Each child is regarded as an individual, as is each parent. We are a source of emotional support, and an educational resource for the problems of everyday child-rearing. Parents are encouraged to take part in parent activities, to join various committees of the Child Care Board, and to attend meetings to enhance open communication between parents and staff.

For more information and/or an appointment to visit:

Stony Brook Child Care Services, Inc.
Phone: (631) 632-6930
Fax: (631) 632-4830

Program Director

Denise Masone
Denise.Masone@stonybrook.edu

Board of Directors

Chair
Lyle Gomes
Presidential Representative
Lyle.Gomes@stonybrook.edu

Vice Chair
Kayla Mendelsohn
UUP Representative
Karen.Mendelsohn@stonybrook.edu

Treasurer
Mark Maciulaitis
Appointee of VP for Administration
Mark.Maciulaitis@stonybrook.edu

Community Member at Large
Raymond Maietta
President, Research Talk
rmaietta@researchtalk.com

Catherine Belling
Parent Representative
Catherine.Belling@stonybrook.edu

Rebecca Bonanno
Graduate Student Organization Representative
Rebecca.Bonanno@stonybrook.edu

Barbara Byrne
Provostial Representative
Barbara.Byrne@stonybrook.edu

Ken Feldman
Provostial Representative
Kenneth.Feldman.1@stonybrook.edu

Irene Gische
UUP Representative
Irene.Gische@stonybrook.edu

LeeAnn Heller
Parent Representative
lalyons@earthlink.net

Joan Kuchner
Director of Child and Family Studies
Joan.Kuchner@stonybrook.edu

Maryann Phelps
CSEA Representative
Maryann.Phelps@stonybrook.edu

Amy Slep
Parent Representative
Amy.Slep@stonybrook.edu