Day care facility set to open doors

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Construction crews are hard at work inside a former attorneys office on Grand Avenue, converting the building into a state-of-the-art day care facility that’s scheduled to open in about a month.

The Lightbridge Academy, which was started in New Jersey in 1997, is about to open its first Long Island franchise on Grand, between Merrick Road and Sunrise Highway.

Marieelena Vulpis was hired as director in the spring and said the facility will offer care to children six weeks to 5 years old. The building can support up to 190 children, she said, and has 10 classrooms to offer Infant, Toddler and Pre-k programs.

“We’re really excited about joining the community here in Baldwin,” Vulpis said. Although her children are past the day care-age, Vulpis said she can recall feeling a sense of sadness dropping them off in the morning while she went to work. “We’re looking to be an extension or part of family,” she said.

Since the facility is located near the Baldwin Long Island Rail Road station, Vulpis is hoping that parents who catch a train in the morning will find their location convenient. To that end, Lightbridge will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday in case a parent has to go in early or gets stuck late at work.

“We offer extended hours in order to meet the needs of the working parent,” Vulpis said. “Because we’re near the train station, we want to give commuting parents some peace of mind and flexibility so they aren’t so stressed trying to catch a train; or an opportunity for a five-minute window to breathe or maybe grab some coffee.”

Technology will be integrated into the facility, including ParentView® Internet Monitoring, a real-time parent eCommunication app that allows parents to watch a live feed of their child’s class. There will also be a biometric finger scanning entry system for parents to use while dropping off and picking up their children.

The goal, Vulpis said, is to prepare children for kindergarten. The curriculum will include American Sign Language, and early reading readiness and music programs.

Enrollment has picked up in recent weeks, Vulpis said, as she and her staff prepare to open their doors in late August.