By JANE LaTOUR

Poet Maya Angelou came to celebrate the dedication of the Bellevue Hospital 24-Hour Child Care Center on May 20 as the honored guest. Dr. Angelou spoke appreciatively of the Bellevue Hospital community, the men and women who worked together to make the center a reality: “Thank you for having the courage to offer succor, safety and caring,” she said.

As Health and Hospitals Corp. President Dr. Benjamin Chu noted in his remarks, “Look around and see the huge number of people who have contributed to this project. It epitomizes what we do and how much caring goes on in our community.” The Child Care Center represents the culmination of 26 years of hard work and dedication by volunteers.

As tears welled in her eyes and with a wavering voice, the Center’s Executive Director, Sarah Maldonado, spoke about the labor of love that it represents. “To create and build something unique has taken determination. We partnered with a lot of people in the hospital who could see the need, and today we are very emotional about this.”

One of the people who saw the need was Ralph Palladino, 2nd vice president of Clerical-Administrative Employees Local 1549, who co-chaired the Bellevue Hospital Childcare Committee. Mr. Palladino acknowledged the many contributions from DC 37, the City Council and members including Ronnie Eldridge and Eva Moskowitz.

After years of organizing fundraisers and writing grant proposals, Mr. Palladino pointed out that there is still more to be done before the doors officially open: “We’re in the home stretch. But we have a Needs and Wish List for contributions.” Carlos Perez, senior vice president of Bellevue Hospital, played a crucial role, said Local 1549 retiree Dorothy C. Wills, because of his early recognition of the need for adequate childcare for employees. Ms. Wills, who worked at Bellevue Hospital for almost 18 years, was an active member of the Employees Childcare Committee.

Ultimately the value of the Center comes down to meeting the needs of the parents and the children. “It’s a great thing for working mothers and fathers. It’s just great!” said Martesha Thompson. Ms. Thompson’s daughter Makayla, seven, attends Bellevue’s after-school program, and now her 7-month-old daughter Maya will be enrolled at the new Center.

“This means that I can feel comfortable going to work, knowing that my child is safe and well taken care of,” she said. “The hours are flexible, so it’s not so much of a concern about the hours you work.” Twenty-four-hour childcare centers fill a crucial need as the demand for round-the-clock care rises. The Bellevue Center has slots for 8 infants, 10 toddlers and 21 pre-schoolers and can take 39 children at a time. The flexibility of part-time care will allow the Center to service about 300 families annually. Members of the day care workers local in AFSCME District Council 1707 will staff the Center.