Items filtered by date: May 2023

NATIONALLY, CHILD CARE WORKERS MAKE LESS THAN 98% OF ALL OCCUPATIONS!

HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR STAFF DOING?

We get calls all the time asking about child care wages and benefits. Please take 5 minutes for this confidential survey, so we can answer those questions.

The summarized results will help us fight for better child care compensation for you!

HELP US TO HELP YOU!
Staff Compensation Survey

Thank you as always for all you do for our children, families and entire community!

It's time to induct some new heroes into the Early Education Hall of Heroes! Thank you to all of you who educate and care for our children. We are so excited to come back together this fall to honor some of the world's greatest educators.

You may nominate yourself or be nominated by an employer, parent, board member, or a co-worker. If you are a former Joey Award winner, you may still be nominated. You may receive multiple nominations. A selection committee will choose the honorees, and approximately 10 professionals will be inducted this year.

The Early Education Hall of Heroes event will take place on Friday, September 29, 2023 from 7pm to 9pm. Join us for a night of celebration with awards, dinner, entertainment, giveaways, and more. So be sure to mark September 29th on your calendar and submit an online nomination form for your hero. They just might become a 2023 Early Education Hall of Heroes Inductee. Click the button below to complete the form online or print and mail in form.

Additional details are coming soon

 FAMS Comprehensive Background Check Process
Technical Assistance Session for Child Care Providers

Helping children realize their full potential is a critically important task.  Those who do it well display an understanding of children, passion for their work, creativity and more.  To encourage on-going efforts to improve child care quality, the Council established the Cathryn A. Riley Innovation for Quality Prize in 2016, named after a former member of the Council’s team who made a lasting impact not only on the Council but also the field statewide.  

We thank all the applicants and wish that we could fund every great idea.  We are pleased to announce the following 6 awards:  

Briarcliff Nursery School:  Connecting Through Nature: Enhancing an Outdoor Community Space
An existing “side yard” will be transformed into a lovely space for play, gardening, and family gatherings.

Bumble Bees Family Daycare: Outdoor Exploration Space
New elements (mud kitchen, water play equipment) will be introduced in the backyard to expand outdoor learning activities.

Discovery Village: Outdoor Classroom
An outdoor kitchen, art easel, water runway and seating will be added to extend outdoor learning.

Kidz on the Go Family Daycare: Outdoor Exploration Space
New elements (mud kitchen, water play equipment) will be introduced in the backyard to expand outdoor learning activities.

My Children’s Day Care: Outdoor Science
With a new sandbox and basic science materials, the children will be introduced to exciting new experiments.

Tarrytown Nursery School: Early Childhood Yoga and Mindfulness
A new yoga program will promote social, emotional and physical well-being in addition to improved attention skills.

If you would like to support the Council’s efforts to promote quality early learning experiences and innovation in the field, please contact Kathy Halas, Executive Director, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Are you next?

Take your place among Westchester's leaders via Leadership Westchester, a rigorous, 9 month program run by Volunteer NY! that sharpens leadership skills, expands relationships, facilitates a new understanding of your own values, capacities and goals, and deepens your ability to influence others.

For the 8th year, the Council is pleased to fully support the participation of a Westchester early care and education leader in this unique opportunity.  A Council committee will pre-screen all applicants for this scholarship and interview selected candidates. Interviews with the committee will be scheduled for mid July. Final selection will be made by Leadership Westchester. The first Leadership Westchester class will be in late October. 

Application deadline is Thursday, June 29, 2023 at 5 pm. 

To apply for this award through the Council's Cathryn A. Riley Fund, you must submit this application-->Click Here for Application.

For more info about the Scholarship Program, join us at the virtual info session with David Severance, Program Facilitator on Thursday, June 8th at 1pm.

TO REGISTER-->SEND AN EMAIL TO This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information about Leadership Westchester go to: https://www.volunteernewyork.org/leadership

About the Cathryn A. Riley Fund
The Leadership Westchester scholarship is made possible by the Cathryn A. Riley Fund of the Child Care Council of Westchester. Cathryn "Cate" Riley was a coordinator at the Council prior to her death. She was involved with the NYS Child Care Coordinating Council, now known as the Early Care and Learning Council, the coordinating vehicle for the statewide CCRR network. She also served on the NYS Department of Education Committee for Teacher Certification, the Board of the Westchester Association for the Education of Young Children and the Advisory Board of Westchester Community College. Cate was herself an intuitive and skilled leader in early care and education.