Anna House | Horse Racing Free Tips

Be Transformative!

The following is an open letter to the industry by Joanne K. Adams, Executive Director of the Belmont Child Care Association, Inc. (BCCA), a 501 c 3 organization.

Our one-of-a-kind organization is changing lives at the racetrack every day as we continue to expand our programs to better serve our families. This year, BCCA launched BCCA Blooms: Nourishing Mind · Nourishing Body · Nourishing Family to help further our mission. Our goal is to Be Transformative by changing the lives of our families through knowledge and by providing the proper tools for success as we focus on the importance of establishing healthy eating habits, introducing new snack options to our children in an age-appropriate way, and expanding our garden to provide more fresh fruit and vegetables for our families.

BCCA Blooms because the programs we offer at Anna House and Faith's House have become an invaluable resource for the backstretch families and each year we see our children thrive as they continue on their road to success. This year, in its third year of operation, our program at Faith's House is so acclaimed that we are now proud to offer a school-age program during the summer race meet. Thanks to our early childhood education program, Anna House graduates enter the local public school system at the same level as or ahead of their peers. Our program has proven successful as our graduates often earn a spot on the Principal's Honor Roll and are celebrated for showcasing their leadership skills in the classroom. Many of our families speak Spanish as their primary language, so our children are often exposed to English for the first time at Anna House. A recent research study led by an MIT economist established a correlation between preschool-educated children and positive outcomes, which include a boost in high school graduates and college attendance, and a decrease in problematic behavioral issues.

As Anna House celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, BCCA can now follow the long-term effects of providing our students with the foundation for educational success from an early age. One of our earliest graduates, Xochilt, is now preparing to enter college. Xochilt just graduated from high school and plans to attend Northeastern University in the Fall, where she will be pursuing a double major in Civil Engineering and Architectural Studies. Our first Anna House graduate, Jonathan, has thrived in the Thoroughbred racing industry since he graduated from high school. Last year, we were so proud to see him recognized with the Godolphin Newcomer Award, sponsored by NYRA. Both Xochilt and Jonathan participated in BCCA's early childhood education and school-age programs.

How do contributions make a great impact on our enrichment programs? Outside of academics, BCCA offers an Integrated Arts curriculum in music, art, and dance. Our students are provided with an opportunity to expand their perspectives by working in different disciplines to foster development, social and emotional skills, and increase mindfulness. Lourdes always loved art classes at Anna House and decided at a very young age that she wanted to become an artist. Lourdes, now in sixth grade, recently had her art exhibited at the Long Island Children's Museum. Her piece was influenced by the Aztec culture and she created it using mixed media of copper and metal. Lourdes loves fashion and sketching designs, especially Japanese Lolita dresses. She often uses her free time to sketch and draw and her greatest wish is to become a fashion designer.

BCCA's annual Racing for the Children dinner and auction, BCCA Can Do–“We got the horse right here!” honoring Barbara R Banke will be held August 24th at Universal Preservation Hall, Saratoga Springs, NY, two days before the Travers S. BCCA will recognize LSU Stables with a Humanitarian Award and we invite you to join us and Think BIG for BCCA at any level because when we come together, we can make a great impact on the lives of our children and their families. To learn more about our event and our programs, please visit us at www.belmontchildcare.org.

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Anna House Graduation: Child Care and So Much More

Finding affordable quality day care is a struggle most working parents face, but for parents working on the backstretches of America's racetracks, the combination of low pay and early hours make it even more of a challenge. For years, too many backstretch parents were forced to leave their children in less-than-ideal situations or drive to work at 5 a.m. with their kids sleeping in the back of their car.

But in the late 1990s, after talking to his good friend Jerry Bailey about the situation, Michael Dubb took matters into his own hands and built Anna House, a model day care program for backstretch workers located right in the Belmont barn area.

This past Tuesday, a dozen children graduated from the program, and will head to the local public school system this fall. But the Anna House care doesn't stop there. Early-morning care, breakfast, after-school care, tutoring, summer programs, and literacy programs for parents are all a part of the remarkable and comprehensive system overseen by the Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA).

“Most of the children come from bilingual families, and so we teach them English first and foremost,” said Dubb. “We teach them computer skills. We teach them arts and crafts. We teach them interaction. We teach them gardening. We teach them how to play chess. We teach them how to climb walls. We teach them how to build character and confidence. And it really sets them up for life. These are happy, exuberant kids ready for the challenges that life is going to bring them and ready to excel.”

For the past 10 years, Libby Imperio has served as the President of the BCCA, and oversees fundraising, grants to expand the programs offered, and more.

“I became involved because my husband and I went to their Saratoga fundraiser, Racing for the Children. And they had a wish list asking for diapers, books, changing tables, formula and with the thousands of fundraisers we go to, no one had ever asked me for a specific item before, and it really tugged at my heart. That was the beginning. And I just kept asking, `What can I do? What can I do?'”

Years later, she knows the answer.

Since its inception, Anna House has gone beyond educating preschool children and has expanded its programs to parent literacy, basic childcare, and more.

“I'm so proud of our expansions,” said Imperio. “Our first expansion was after-school tutoring, which we provide to up until 13 years old. Then we took that concept and provided a school-age program, so our graduates and even kids that did not originally attend here who are in elementary school, when they have the day off or school vacation, they have now a safe and healthy and nurturing place to attend. And we have about 20 kids enrolled in that program.”

The BCCA and Dubb built Faith House in Saratoga so that workers relocated for the eight weeks could bring their children knowing they would have a safe place to go for a summer which involves both learning and fun.

They also provide basic life and childcare skills. “We joined with the other backstretch charities, BEST and the Racetrack Chaplaincy to develop `The ABCs of Life' for the mothers of the backstretch,” she said. “That course is teaching things that we all take for granted: how to write a check, nutrition on a low income, basic health and dentistry for children, cooking, and just your basic ABCs of life. But my favorite program has become the women's literacy program. It started out with about just five moms on the backstretch, and we now have about 25 mothers. And it makes me so happy because that just will help not just themselves, but their children as they go forward in life.”

Tuesday's graduation was the 20^th time that the Anna House kids left the program to head for the public schools, and Dubb said that some of them were now circling back.

“I've seen familiar faces back here at the racetrack working,” said Dubb. “But one of them, a young child at the racetrack named Angel Torres whose father was an assistant trainer, he was a child of the backstretch, and went on from here to get his college degree. And he's one of the now one of the top financial people at my company.”

Anna House's most important fundraiser is coming up at Saratoga, said Imperio-the very event she attended all those years ago which inspired her involvement. Every year, the BCCA needs to raise $1.7 million for operations.

“Our biggest fundraiser of the year is Racing for the Children, being held in downtown Saratoga August 25th at the Universal Preservation Building (at 25 Washington Street). It's a new location for us this year, so we're really excited about it. I think it will be a beautiful event.”

Dubb said that initially, he saw the need and thought as a builder, he could fix it, and move on.

“When I built this, I really just wanted to donate a building and ride off into the sunset,” he said. “But I couldn't do it. And in 20 years, I'm most proud of the children and I'm most proud of their parents. This is the real American dream. Come here to work hard and to do right by your kids. That's what my grandparents did. And I'm just so happy that I can share my good fortune and make this happen, but it's really not about me. This is the gift that keeps giving to me. It brings me more pleasure than anything else on the racetrack-more pleasure than winning any kind of race. A race is for a moment, but a child's life is for a lifetime. And knowing that we're making a difference, really, that's what really, really drives me.”

To make a donation to Anna House, or to learn more about their upcoming fundraisers, visit www.belmontchildcare.org.

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Graduation Day as Anna House Celebrates 20th Anniversary

The Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA) celebrated the Anna House Class of 2022 graduation Tuesday at Belmont Park with 12 students from its early childhood education program for the children of backstretch workers based at Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga Race Course.

The ceremony, attended by New York state and local elected officials and community leaders, marked the completion of the children's year-round pre-K program, where they were taught English, math, reading, gardening, art, nutrition and other topics in a STEAM-based curriculum. The students are now prepared to enter Kindergarten in September in local public schools, with many set to continue in BCCA's school-age program where they will receive tutoring and enrichment activities outside their public-school classrooms.

“This is always such a big day for our children and for our families and it's one that we all look forward to each year,” said BCCA President Libby Imperio. “To celebrate their accomplishments and to see how proud they are is a credit to them and to their families as we all work together to prioritize the importance of education.”

BCCA was established in 1998 and since opening its doors in 2002, Anna House has educated more than 1,000 students.

During Tuesday's event, the children presented handmade “thank you” gifts to BCCA Founder and Chairman Michael Dubb, Imperio and the BCCA Team. They also gave a special painting to Dubb to commemorate Anna House's 20th anniversary.

Look for a video feature on the ceremony and the program in Saturday's TDN.

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Faith’s House Opens in Saratoga

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – With just minutes to spare before rain started falling Wednesday afternoon, the ceremonial ribbon cutting was completed to formally open Faith's House, the new child care center at Saratoga Race Course.

The 4,500-square foot building is located across Union Avenue from the track next to what was long known as the Jockey Y and more recently as the Backstretch Recreation Center. It is named for the late mother of Michael Dubb, the Long Island developer, Thoroughbred owner and driving force behind the project of the Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA). Dubb and his wife, Lee, underwrote the approximately $1-million cost of construction. Faith's House is open from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily during the Saratoga meet to care for the young children of backstretch workers, trainers and racetrack employees. The BCCA operates Anna House, which opened at Belmont Park in 2003.

Faith House, which accommodate 35 children, from infants to 5-year-olds, began operations on Sunday.

BCCA president Libby Imperio said that Faith's House provides more hours of daily child care than is available at Anna House.

“We did this in order to accommodate that the parents of all of our children work two jobs here at Saratoga Race Course, in the morning with the horses and in the afternoon, helping and serving the track people over at the clubhouse,” she said. “It is an amazing opportunity for them to provide extra care and money for their family. So we are here to provide for them and their children and their families.

“We are so happy to bring the most amazing working, proven system of child care and early education to Saratoga. Our program in Belmont has been incredibly successful. We expanded our program during the COVID and welcomed back our graduating students. So they were there all this year with their zooming into their classrooms, but with individual tutors at Belmont Child Care. They never fell behind during the school year. And we are incredibly proud of that. We're looking forward to bringing the same excellent care and education here to Saratoga.”

After introducing several state and local officials who make remarks praising the endeavor, Imperio said that it took 13 years to bring Faith's House from idea to completion. She called Dubb “the man of the hour” and praised him for his leadership.

“I appreciate the kind words, Libby, but this is not Mike Dubb,” he said. “This is this board. This is you. This is everybody who has supported the Belmont Child Care association for the last 20 years.”

Dubb said that the often unseen people who care for the horses that are at the center of the sport, need the resources that are being provided by the BCCA downstate and now at Saratoga.

“One thing we know, those of us who are familiar with the backstretch, is that the people who are out there are working incredibly long hours in incredibly difficult, cruel conditions,” he said. “And they're chasing the American dream just the way my mother Faith's father chased the American dream. Yes, I'm a guy. I have a hammer and nails, and I know how to build things. I'll take that, but that's me. This doesn't happen without the entire support of this great board. All of the people, the advisory board, the Saratoga committee, all of the people. It's just phenomenal.”

Imperio said during the ceremony that Faith House was a dream come true and Dubb repeated those words later.

“As a builder, I feel like I would be somewhat remiss if I didn't take advantage of my talents in construction,” he said. “I know there's a need for day care. I feel like I had the ability to organize it and get it done and fortunately to be involved in financing it. You know, I almost feel like it was my responsibility to deal with it.”

Dubb said he was a racing fan when he was introduced to the now-retired Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, who told him about a movement to build a day care center at Belmont Park.

“I met with people back then and organized the whole process and got the building built down there,” Dubb said. “It was only after I built the building that I started meeting other owners and trainers and I decided to dip my toe in the water in Thoroughbred ownership. And, as you can see, I don't do anything small.”

In the years since, Dubb has become one of the most successful Thoroughbred owners in the country.

Dubb said construction on Faith's House began in early 2020 with a goal of having it completed by the start of the Saratoga season in July. The COVID-19 restrictions delayed completion for a year, but Faith's House was ready for this 153rd season of racing in Saratoga Springs.

As he stood under cover by the front door out of the rain, Dubb said that the BCCA has been able to deliver difference-making services for the backstretch community.

“A lot of times we get the kids at infancy, literally six weeks,” he said. “And when they graduate in cap and gown, just like a building, we give them a great foundation. And when you have a great foundation, you can build a great future. And that's what we're all about.”

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