Thursday, October 1, 2026
Justice for Children, a not-for-profit group family day care in Valley Stream, is working to meet a need that few providers fill: 24-hour child care, seven days a week.
The program was originally established in 1995 by Allison Justice in an apartment in Jamaica Estates. It later moved to a house on Sutphin Boulevard in Jamaica, where the entire first and second floors were used for the group family day care. From the start, Justice structured the program as a not-for-profit.
“I wanted to be able to provide low-income mothers, especially single mothers, the opportunity to have quality child care and not have to worry about how much child care costs,” Justice said.
Justice for Children accepts all types of child care vouchers. Through Nassau County’s Department of Social Services, eligible families can apply for vouchers that cover the full cost of care, with the county issuing payments directly. The vouchers serve as the program’s primary source of income, allowing families who qualify to access care without out-of-pocket costs.
After more than two decades in operation, the program closed during the Covid-19 pandemic. During that time, both Justice and her daughter, Shanice Justice, worked in schools but did not find the work fulfilling.
Shanice, who had taught general and special education at the Boys and Girls Club and HeartShare, both in Richmond Hill, suggested reopening the family business.
“It just felt like the right thing to do,” Shanice said. “I had all of this information, and I was just ready to use it and apply it to my own business.”
Last September, Justice for Children reopened as a home-based group family day care in Valley Stream, where the family has lived for more than 20 years.
That same month, the program introduced 24-hour care. The expanded schedule was developed after hearing from correction officers, police officers, hospital staff and other workers about the difficulty of finding child care that accommodates overnight and unpredictable shifts.
The day care now operates in two shifts: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. It has received state approval for 24-hour operation following inspection.
Justice for Children serves children from six weeks old through age 13. The daytime schedule includes free play, breakfast, circle time focused on letters, numbers, colors and shapes, themed reading, structured schoolwork tailored by age, snack, movement activities, art projects, lunch and nap time. A second circle time is held in the afternoon for children who arrive later.
Shanice now serves as provider, with her mother as assistant.
“I enjoy watching them go from not being able to write anything to being able to write, not being able to read, to reading,” Justice said. “I love witnessing it, so it still brings me joy watching that.”
Looking ahead, Shanice said a key measure of success will be filling both the daytime and overnight shifts as they continue expanding awareness of their 24-hour, not-for-profit services in the community.
Families and community members can find the day care on Instagram under the handle justice_for_children_daycare or reach by phone at (516) 707-8251.
