Sunshine Learning Center

NYCR-CDE provided $20 million in New Markets Tax Credit financing for the construction of a new early childhood education center in the South Bronx.

The capital is transforming a former state government building into a modern early childhood center totaling approximately 24,000 square feet spread across three floors. The new center will include 16 classrooms, teaching kitchens, observation areas, and a 1,313 square foot outdoor play deck in a neighborhood with limited access to safe recreational space. The center will serve approximately 205 children (ages six weeks to 5 years), 100% of whom are expected to come from low-income families. 

The new center will be run by Sunshine Learning Center, a respected early childhood provider. The project responds directly to a shortage of licensed early education seats in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx, one of the most economically distressed census tracts in New York City. The new center increases access to early-learning seats in a neighborhood long recognized as a childcare desert, helping close the gap for families who otherwise face long waitlists or must travel long distances to find affordable, licensed care. Residents consistently rank affordable early childhood options as a top community priority.

Founded in 2004 with a single center in Coney Island, Sunshine Learning Center now operates eight centers throughout the city serving approximately 1,200 students annually, the vast majority of whom reside in underserved communities. The non-profit also offers counseling services, nutrition and wellness education, and works with partners such as the Children’s Aid Society – ensuring families have access to health screenings, dental care, and food assistance where needed. These partnerships extend the childcare center’s impact beyond education, helping to stabilize families experiencing economic hardship, housing insecurity, or limited access to healthcare.

“Our mission is to support working families and their young children by providing affordable, high-quality, and enriching childcare in a safe, nurturing, and diverse environment.”

– Sunshine Learning Center