History

For more than four decades, the Bayonne Police Athletic League Day Care Center has earned an outstanding reputation for providing a year-round program of quality child care for the families of Bayonne.  Our center provides a “Home Away From Home” for the children of parents who work and parents who attend school or job training programs. 

            The PAL provides a program of diverse recreational activities for children from 5 to 13 years of age.  All staff members meet requirements established by the State of New Jersey for employment within a child care center.  Staff members are encouraged to upgrade their professional development through workshops, seminars and college level courses in Early Childhood Development.  This combination of life experience and structured educational training provides a broad base of knowledge to draw upon in order to provide the very best care for the children we serve.

            In addition to our recreation activities, we offer an educational program for children enrolled in our after school program.  Certified teachers concentrate their efforts on homework help and when possible they provide tutorial services.  Parents can request for their children to attend the homework assistance program

            For most of the school year the day care center operates from 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.  On half days, the center is open from noon to 5:30 p.m. and when schools are not in session we open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  The 8-week summer camp program operates from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

            When the late Jerry Clougher founded the center in 1975, it was located in the old PAL building between 23rd and 24th street and Avenue A.  Today, we occupy space in the Midtown Community School, which was completed in 1992 after the demolition of the PAL building and adjacent Roosevelt School.