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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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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Located on the Oklahoma side of the Saratoga backstretch, the 4,300-square-foot facility will provide child care and early education programs for infants, toddlers and preschool-aged children. The center will be open seven days a week from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. to accommodate the schedules of backstretch workers and horsemen.

The building was funded by Michael and Lee Dubb and is named in honor of Faith Dubb, the late mother of BCCA founder and board chairman Michael Dubb.

“We are very excited to open the doors of Faith's House to the backstretch community this summer,” said Dubb, who is a prominent Thoroughbred owner in addition to his work with the BCCA. “This important program will provide the hardworking families of the Saratoga backstretch with the peace of mind that comes with knowing their children are being cared for in a fun and enriching environment with a focus on early education.”

Faith's House will feature dedicated rooms to serve infants, toddlers and preschool aged children. Upon entering the new child care center, visitors are greeted by an oversized black and white mural of a Thoroughbred racehorse.

The facility is designed to accommodate up to 35 children and includes numerous cribs for newborn infants. Two rooms within Faith's House are dedicated to serving preschool aged children with an array of educational resources, including books, dictionaries and writing and drawing materials.

A fenced-in play area is located outside the rear of the building with eco-friendly, rubber tiles and flooring to provide a safe and forgiving playground surface.

The Saratoga facility will complement BCCA's sister child care center Anna House, which serves families of the Belmont Park backstretch. More than 1,000 students have participated in Anna House's programs since its opening in 2003.

“On behalf of the New York Racing Association, I would like to thank Michael and Lee Dubb for their generosity and dedication to the backstretch community,” said NYRA President & CEO Dave O'Rourke. “We have been fortunate to witness the benefits of child care and early education through their initial vision of Anna House at Belmont Park and are indebted to Michael and Lee for funding and spearheading this companion facility at Saratoga Race Course. We are thrilled to welcome this beautiful new facility to Saratoga and extend our appreciation to the entire BCCA team and our own facilities staff for bringing this project to life.”

The summer 2021 opening coincides with the annual summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which brings approximately 950 backstretch workers and their families to the Spa.

Faith's House will be operated by Bright Horizons, an organization known for excellence in the child care industry which manages early childhood education programs at more than 1,000 child care centers.

“On behalf of the BCCA Board of Directors, I would like to thank Mike and Lee Dubb for their incredible generosity in building Faith's House which fulfills a 10-year dream for the BCCA,” said BCCA President Libby Imperio.

Local officials shared their support and enthusiasm for the new child care center, which will open in July.

“I would like to congratulate the Belmont Child Care Association, along with Michael and Lee Dubb, on the opening of Faith's House,” said Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner (113th AD). “The backstretch workers who are integral to the sport of racing have long needed the child care services and support that will be provided by Faith's House so that their families can join them in Saratoga for the summer meet.”

“The past year has informed us more than ever of the importance of quality child care for working families in our community,” said City of Saratoga Springs Mayor Meg Kelly. “This new center will undoubtedly be an outstanding addition to Saratoga Race Course and to our city. We are thrilled to welcome Faith's House to Saratoga Springs and thank Michael and Lee, the BCCA and NYRA for making this project possible.”

For more information about Faith's House, including details on registration and enrollment, contact BCCA Executive Director Joanne K. Adams by phone at (516) 488-2103 or via email at jadams@belmontchildcare.org.

The Belmont Child Care Association works to provide a safe, supportive, and academically inspiring environment for the children of parents working in the thoroughbred racing backstretch area located at New York's historic Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga Race Course. For more information, visit BelmontChildCare.org.

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But that doesn't begin to match the feeling that Dubb, a thoroughbred owner and Long Island developer, derives from his real calling at the track: putting together daycare centers that benefit the children of backstretch workers.

“There isn't anything I'd trade in racing for the smiles and success that our daycare center at Belmont Park has had with children who have passed through its doors with a firm foundation under them,” said Dubb, who serves as a New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) board member and is the founder and chairman of the Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA). “That's why we're so proud of what we're doing in Saratoga, which will continue to improve the lives of backstretch families.”

Dubb refers to the scheduled opening this summer of BCCA's new childcare center for the backstretch community at Saratoga Race Course. The 4,300-square-foot facility going up inside Gate 16, a furlong or two from the Oklahoma training track, is being funded by Dubb and his wife, Lee. It will be called Faith's House in honor of Mr. Dubb's late mother, Faith; and completes the circle of having child care during the summer meet at Saratoga and year-round at Anna House.

The Saratoga facility will provide child care and early education programs for infants, toddlers and preschool-aged children of backstretch workers, and the children of trainers and front-side NYRA employees. Faith's House will complement BCCA's sister childcare center Anna House, which Dubb built and opened in 2003 for families of the Belmont Park backstretch.

“All working parents deserve to know that their children are being cared for in a safe, healthy and enriching environment during the workday,” said Dubb. “We are thrilled to extend this important program to the hardworking families of the Saratoga backstretch community, who provide a vital service to the racing community.”

The anticipated summer opening coincides with the annual summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which brings approximately 950 backstretch workers and their families to the Spa. The opening of the new center is contingent upon licensing approval from New York State and the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

Dubb's passion for the track kicked in early. In 1973 at the age of 17, he was a self-described “misfit,” a recent high school graduate who spent much of that summer shuttling back and forth to Saratoga Race Course in the van he used for his landscaping business. At night, he and his friends slept on the floor of the van to save a few dollars.

In the mid-1980s, Dubb worked with a bank, which was using his landscaping service, to finance the development of some lots in East Meadow, Long Island. He became a builder and business grew rapidly. Today, Dubb's Beechwood Organization ranks at the forefront of privately-owned residential homebuilders nationwide. Since 1985, Dubb, now working with his son Steven, has built more than 7,500 homes in 60 communities across the New York metro area with new ones on the map in New York City, Long Island and Saratoga.

Dubb credits retired Hall of Fame rider Jerry Bailey, who he knows from playing tennis, with generating the idea of creating a facility at Belmont Park where the children of backstretch workers could go while many of their parents were at the track, often working long hours. Meeting with NYRA officials, Dubb secured the land, an acre just inside Gate 6, and funded a large portion of the building of Anna House, which he named for the daughter of racehorse owner and generous donor Eugene Melnyk.

It was around then that Dubb also became an owner. Though Dubb calls owning racehorses a hobby, he devotes time most evenings to his stable with the same commitment and attention to detail that he uses in running his business. “I look at each horse I own as an individual investment,” he said. “But I look at all the horses I own as a stock portfolio. Underperformers are moved along and there is a constant push to upgrade the portfolio.”

That philosophy has paid off handsomely. The winner of seven year-end NYRA owner titles, Dubb has campaigned some memorable horses, including Eclipse Award-winners Monomoy Girl, British Idiom and Uni. Another of Dubb's horses to wear his stable colors of yellow with a pink rose and pink cap was Condo Commando, winner at Saratoga of the 2014 Spinaway, the final race called by Tom Durkin.

It's at Saratoga where the Dubbs and the BCCA team look forward to cutting the ceremonial ribbon at Faith's House.
“This new facility fulfills a dream that the BCCA has been working on for over 10 years,” said BCCA President Libby Imperio. “We are so excited to bring a winning formula in child care to Saratoga and forever grateful to Michael and Lee for their leadership in making it happen.”

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Editor's note: The following letter appeared in the March 28, 2021 print editions of the Saratogian and Troy Record, and is reprinted here with their permission.

While the pandemic irrevocably changed each and every one of us, perhaps no one will be impacted more significantly in the long term than our children.
Mental health and education experts are just starting to reckon with the fallout of this unprecedented “lost year”, which resulted in remote learning and isolation from friends and extended family.

Most experts agree, however, that kids fell behind academically: some estimates say they possibly lost up to four months of learning. We also know that the pandemic has disproportionately impacted lower-income minority families by potentially pushing more people into poverty and exacerbating long-standing disparities in health care and education.

That's why it's more important than ever that we support and assist members of these vulnerable communities – especially children – so they can fully participate in and benefit from the post-COVID recovery effort.

Faith's House at Saratoga | BCCA

That is the goal behind Faith's House, a new childcare center that will serve families and children of Saratoga Race Course's backstretch community. Scheduled to open this summer, the 4,300-square-foot facility will offer childcare and early education programs for 35 to 40 infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

Faith's House will serve as a compliment to Anna House, which has been providing similar services to the backstretch families at Belmont Park on Long Island for the past two decades.

As chair of the nonprofit Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA) alongside our president, Libby Imperio; our executive director, Joanne Adams; and our great Board of Directors; it has been our honor and privilege to facilitate quality early education opportunities for the children of the backstretch community, whose members are the heart and soul of horse racing and without whom the industry would – quite literally – not be able to run.

More than 1,000 children have participated in Anna House's programs since its opening in 2003. Many of the parents of these children are first-generation immigrants who are doing exactly what my immigrant grandparents did: Working very hard to create a better life for themselves and their families.

Anna House helps support those efforts by providing these children with an educational foundation that sets them up for a lifetime of success. Soon Faith's House will do the same.

Numerous studies have underscored the importance and benefits of early childhood education programs – particularly when it comes to preventing or even minimizing school readiness gaps between low-income kids and those lucky enough to have more economic advantages. In addition, children who participate in the kinds of programs offered at Anna House – and soon at Faith's House as well – are typically at the top of their class when they start public school and are also more likely to graduate from high school, and less likely to struggle with substance abuse.

The backstretch community is a tight-knit ecosystem supported not only by BCCA but a host of other nonprofit organizations and individuals who work to make sure that the men and women of thoroughbred racing and their families have the services they need to succeed. Our collective resolve has been sorely tested over the past year by the many challenges imposed by the pandemic. But together we pulled through, putting programs and protocols in place that enabled racing to safely resume – albeit without fans in the stands – and protected the thousands of good-paying jobs in and around the racing industry statewide.

Thoroughbred racing contributes $3 billion in economic impact annually to the state – more than $200 million of which is generated in the Saratoga Springs region in connection with the historic Saratoga Race Course. This year, the opening of Faith's House will coincide with the annual summer meet in the Spa City.

This will be the culmination of a decade of hard work by BCCA and its allies and supporters, and I look forward to watching Faith's House help backstretch families fulfill their dreams while playing a key role in New York's economic recovery effort.

Michael Dubb is a builder and thoroughbred owner who chairs the Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA) sits on the NYRA Board. He built and donated both Anna House and Faith House.

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The 4,300-square-foot childcare center will be located on the Oklahoma side of the Saratoga backstretch. Funded by Michael and Lee Dubb, the facility will be named Faith's House in honor of Faith Dubb, mother of BCCA founder and board chairman Michael Dubb.

Faith's House will provide child care and early education programs for infants, toddlers and preschool-aged children. The center will be open seven days a week from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. to accommodate the schedules of backstretch workers and horsemen.

“All working parents deserve to know that their children are being cared for in a safe, healthy and enriching environment during the workday,” said Dubb, who is a prominent thoroughbred owner in addition to his work with the BCCA. “We are thrilled to extend this important program to the hardworking families of the Saratoga backstretch community, who provide a vital service to the racing community.”

The Saratoga facility will complement BCCA's sister childcare center Anna House, which serves families of the Belmont Park backstretch. More than 1,000 students have participated in Anna House's programs since its opening in 2003.

“Faith's House fulfills a dream that the BCCA has been working on for over ten years. We are so excited to bring a winning formula in child care to Saratoga,” said Libby Imperio, BCCA President.

The anticipated summer 2021 opening coincides with the annual summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which brings approximately 950 backstretch workers and their families to the Spa. The opening of the new center is contingent upon licensing approval from New York State and the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

“The backstretch community is the foundation of the racing industry,” said New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) President and CEO Dave O'Rourke. “All of us at NYRA extend our sincere gratitude to Michael and Lee, and the entire BCCA staff for their continued dedication and commitment to increasing access to affordable and reliable childcare for families on the backstretch. I would also like to thank our facilities team for their work on this project. NYRA is proud to host this new center of childhood education.”

Faith's House will be operated by Bright Horizons, an organization known for excellence in the child care industry which manages early childhood education programs at more than 1,000 child care centers.

More information about Faith's House, including details on registration and enrollment, will be announced in the coming months. Individuals interested in further details may contact BCCA Executive Director Joanne K. Adams by phone at (516) 488-2103 or via email at jadams@belmontchildcare.org.

The Belmont Child Care Association works to provide a safe, supportive, and academically inspiring environment for the children of parents working in the thoroughbred racing backstretch area located at New York's historic Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga Race Course. For more information, visit BelmontChildCare.org.

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The 4,300-square-foot childcare center will be located on the Oklahoma side of the Saratoga backstretch. Funded by Michael and Lee Dubb, the facility will be named Faith's House in honor of Faith Dubb, mother of BCCA founder and board chairman Michael Dubb.

Faith's House will provide child care and early education programs for infants, toddlers and preschool-aged children. The center will be open seven days a week from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. to accommodate the schedules of backstretch workers and horsemen.

“All working parents deserve to know that their children are being cared for in a safe, healthy and enriching environment during the workday,” said Dubb, who is a prominent Thoroughbred owner in addition to his work with the BCCA. “We are thrilled to extend this important program to the hardworking families of the Saratoga backstretch community, who provide a vital service to the racing community.”

The Saratoga facility will complement BCCA's sister childcare center Anna House, which serves families of the Belmont Park backstretch. More than 1,000 students have participated in Anna House's programs since its opening in 2003.

“Faith's House fulfills a dream that the BCCA has been working on for over 10 years. We are so excited to bring a winning formula in child care to Saratoga,” said Libby Imperio, BCCA President.

The anticipated summer 2021 opening coincides with the annual summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which brings approximately 950 backstretch workers and their families to the Spa.

“The backstretch community is the foundation of the racing industry,” said New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) President and CEO Dave O'Rourke. “All of us at NYRA extend our sincere gratitude to Michael and Lee, and the entire BCCA staff for their continued dedication and commitment to increasing access to affordable and reliable childcare for families on the backstretch. I would also like to thank our facilities team for their work on this project. NYRA is proud to host this new center of childhood education.”

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