For more than three decades, ABC has proudly provided a true “home away from home” for children and families in Greenpoint. Today, ABC remains family-owned, woman-owned, and woman-led, carrying forward the values of family, education, compassion, and community that inspired its founding.
Beginnings
Founder Jolanta (Jakubiak) Matysiak has been a member of the Greenpoint community since immigrating from Poland as a child. After earning an M.S.Ed. in School Psychology, she remained committed to supporting her family’s business, Turysta Travel Agency, while raising her own family in the neighborhood.
As a working mother in the 1970s and 1980s, Jolanta experienced firsthand the challenges families faced in finding quality child care. The lack of dependable early childhood programs in Greenpoint sparked an idea that would eventually become ABC Child Center.
The Vision
Jolanta dreamed of creating a loving environment where children could feel safe, supported, and at home. She envisioned bright classrooms filled with natural sunlight, healthy meals prepared fresh each day, caring and educated teachers, and opportunities for children to learn, grow, and build lasting friendships. Most importantly, she wanted families to have a place they could trust—a true home away from home for their children.
Founding ABC
In the early 1990s, Greenpoint was served by only one public daycare center. When a new building was constructed next door to the family travel agency, Jolanta recognized an opportunity to bring her vision to life.
After eighteen months of planning and preparation, ABC Child Center opened its doors in the spring of 1993, welcoming 45 preschool-aged children. ABC became the first Polish-American daycare center in the New York City metropolitan area and North Brooklyn’s first private daycare center.
A New Chapter
In September 2008, Jolanta passed leadership of the center to her youngest daughter, Violetta (Matysiak) Horelik. Under Violetta’s leadership, ABC embraced new technologies, modernized operations, and adapted to meet the changing needs of today’s families.
As Greenpoint evolved into an increasingly diverse community, ABC’s programs evolved as well, creating a welcoming environment for children and families of all backgrounds while remaining true to its family-centered roots.
Expansion
In 2011, an opportunity arose to expand ABC’s programs to serve the growing need for infant and toddler care. Violetta envisioned a purpose-built space designed specifically for the youngest learners.
Following extensive renovations and more than two years of planning, ABC opened its Infant and Toddler Center in June 2013. The expansion added capacity for 41 children from birth through 24 months of age and created a modern, safe, and nurturing environment designed to support children’s earliest years of growth and development.
Today
Today, ABC Child Center serves up to 86 children from infancy through preschool in a facility spanning approximately 4,500 square feet. More than three decades after opening its doors, ABC continues to provide exceptional early childhood education and care while remaining committed to the vision that started it all: helping children learn, grow, and thrive in a safe, nurturing environment.