After decades of service, Rainbow Preschool, operated by Arc of Genesee Orleans, will permanently close on Aug. 14.

Rainbow Preschool, located in Batavia at 80 Union St., and in Albion, serves children from 2½ - 5 years old with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

After careful consideration by Arc of Genesee Orleans’ Board of Directors, this difficult decision was made due to the current environment of the coronavirus pandemic, uncertain funding and declining enrollment.

While no return to class date was set due to NY State COVID-19 restrictions, enrollment to date included 26 children.

The preschool provided special education, physical therapy, occupational therapy, assistive technology, counseling, parent training, music therapy, and speech/language therapy to help students achieve kindergarten readiness. Preschool staff are New York state certified teachers, with teacher assistants and aides in the classroom. 

“This decision was made with heavy hearts,” said Donna Saskowski, executive director. “For any children who are enrolled with Rainbow for the 2020-21 school year, we will work directly with parents and with school district representatives to secure appropriate placements and ensure continuity of services.”

Rainbow Preschool provided critical services to generations of children with and without disabilities and they have a proud history of service for children with special needs.

Little Hands Preschool in Bergen is accepting applications for fall enrollment.

There are openings in the 2-year-old Playgroup as well as the 3- and 4-year-old Preschool classes for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Little Hands Preschool is located at 27 S. Lake Ave. (Route 19) and is a ministry of Bergen United Methodist Church.

It offers a Christian environment that teaches children that they are loved by God while equipping them with the academic and social skills necessary for kindergarten.

People can visit the Facebook page for Little Hands Preschool at Bergen UMC or its website for pricing and more information. Phone is (585) 494-1312.

Submitted photo and press release:

Head Start, a preschool program of Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, is taking applications for the 2020-21 academic year.

Head Start has centers in Albion, Batavia, Kendall and Medina, with an enrollment of 189 children.

Since 1965, Head Start has provided quality comprehensive services in Education & Child Development, Health & Nutrition and Family & Community Engagement at no cost to parents.

At Head Start, every staff member knows each child and family has unique talents and interests of their own.  By partnering with families, providing individualized learning experiences and support, children and families learn, grow and get ready for school.

Children are eligible for the Head Start preschool program if they are 3 years old on or before Sept. 15 or 4 years old on or before Dec. 1, and if they reside in Orleans or Genesee counties.

Priority for enrollment is given to foster children, homeless, families on public assistance or those whose income is below the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and children with diagnosed disabilities.

Families may begin the application process by calling the Head Start Administrative Offices at (585) 589-5683. Give your child a “Head Start” that will last a lifetime!

Imagination Station Child Care & Preschool is expanding its operation and adding a new location in Batavia. Known as the “Batavia East Center,” the location is scheduled to open mid-May and is located at 5079 Clinton Street Road in Batavia, the former Grandma’s Lovin’ Care building.

The center will have a variety of new features for Imagination Station and upgrades from its current location in Batavia. The building will have cameras in every classroom, a private playground, and doors throughout which lead to the outside, and a brand-new school-age classroom in the lower half of the building, which will be over 1,000 square feet!

Imagination Station is upgrading the building to include painting throughout, all new window treatments, new flooring in needed areas, an improved parking lot, and all new equipment and furniture in the classrooms.

“It’s a beautiful building and we’re excited for children to be occupying it again!" said owner Kelly Kronbeck. "We’re giving the building some love and attention, then we’ll be ready to open in the spring.

"We look forward to being able to create a more intimate environment at each of our Batavia locations since overall they’ll both be smaller in size."

Imagination Station, which is a locally owned and operated child-care provider, currently has a total of five centers, including the newest Batavia addition.

The new and improved center on Clinton Street Road will accommodate children from the ages of 6 weeks to 12 years old and has capacity for 112 students. The center will consist of two infant classrooms, three toddler classrooms, two preschool classrooms, and one school-age classroom.

Imagination Station prides itself in offering an educationally based program that is safe for its students and professionally run for its families. They credit their success to the hands-on approach they take in running their centers, but also by offering a high-quality program at an affordable rate, which is about 20 percent lower than its competitors between Buffalo and Rochester.

Interested families can tour the existing location by setting up an appointment! Enrollment is now available for both locations and is being filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please call 585-343-0990 or visit the company’s website at www.istationccp.com for more information.

Listen to stories and sing songs.  Learn rhymes, fingerplays, and sign language.  Tell stories with puppets and the flannel board.  Each story time ends with coloring and bubbles.

Registration is required.  Children must be at least 3 by the first session.  This program runs for 6 weeks ending August 11.  Limit of 15 children.

Visit www.woodwardmemoriallibrary.org or call 585-768-8300.

Visit www.woodwardmemoriallibrary.org or call 585-768-8300.