COLONIE — The Colonie Youth Center has a new home.
Rather, it’s like the more than 50-year-old organization is going back home.
“It’s a homecoming of sorts. CYC was founded in Latham as a private non-profit organization in the 1960s and its first home was located just two miles from this new location. At that time CYC provided mainly recreational programs,” says CYC Executive Director Nikki Caruso.
Its new home is at 15 Avis Drive off Wade Road. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the new facility on Thursday, Dec. 13.
The CYC merged with other similar groups serving South Colonie students in the late 70s, a time when both the number of working families and the need for a safe place for children before and after school was growing.
The new organization became known as the Colonie Youth Center and it grew along with that demand — once serving 200 children and it now provides services to more than 1,000 in the North and South Colonie school districts.
With space limitations in the current school buildings, it became apparent a new location was necessary and CYC began the search earlier this year for a space to house school-age childcare programs and where the administrative offices could call home.
The old offices were at 21 Aviation Road.
After more than 50 years of service, CYC remains true to this mission in two very important ways: Through school-age childcare programs and by providing health, wellness and recreation programming at its state-of-the-art fitness facility, The Rudy A. Ciccotti Family Recreation Center.
Click on a photo below to view a slideshow of the rest.