Illegal Daycare Shut Down in Clarkstown

A  daycare center operating in New City received a visit from Child Protective services on Tuesday after it was discovered that the facility had been operating without a permit.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann confirmed that the Morah Chany Daycare Center was evacuated Tuesday afternoon  after fire and building officials deemed the property unsafe for habitation. The day care center, which consisted of two proprieties, 86 Maple Avenue and 96 Maple Avenue, failed safety inspections on July 7. Inspectors reported evidence of unsafe wiring, broken exit doors, and a windowless basement room used to store propane doubling as a nap space. The town confirmed that 30 cribs were found in the unfinished and unventilated basement 96 Maple Avenue, which has been legally operating as a vape shop. A warrant to search both locations was issued following multiple complaints from properties neighboring both 86 and 96 Maple Avenue; Clarkstown residents told authorities that they could hear children crying from inside the buildings. 

The evacuation was preceded by an emergency meeting of the Clarkstown Board on Tuesday morning, where council members voted to allow the Town Attorney to seek a restraining order against the center following its failed inspection. Clarkstown has now filed a Temporary Restraining Order with New York State Supreme Court to shut down the facility: Child Protective Services has ordered the daycare temporarily closed while the case is deliberated. The town board is also coordinating with Clarkstown’s Police Department to determine if the property owner, Alon Altman, broke any criminal laws in operating the facility. The daycare had been running for two weeks before Clarkstown took action to shut it down. 

Clarkstown had issued a Certificate of Occupancy to Altman for a house of worship at 86 Maple Avenue, with a maximum occupancy of 33 persons on June 11, 2024. Following their initial investigation, Town officials have estimated that 90 staff and children were using the facility. Current zoning laws do allow properties categorized as a House of Worship to operate as a daycare, but only via a Special Permit that Altman was not granted. Morah Chany also lacked a  New York State Daycare license.  

Clarkstown Police Chief Jeffrey Wanamaker confirmed that a criminal investigation is ongoing and potential charges are being reviewed by prosecutors.

Supervisor Hoehmann urged parents to always inspect daycare facilities personally and reminded residents to report suspicious activity. “Protecting our children is our most critical duty,” he said. “If you see something, say something.”