Kathy Halas is new Early Care & Learning Council President 

The Council’s Executive Director, Kathy Halas, was elected President of the Board of the New York State Early Care & Learning Council (ECLC), in August. The ECLC is the coordinating agency for the state’s network of  39 child care resource and referral agencies that work to make quality, affordable child care available to New York’s families.  

“This is truly an exciting time for our state network as we prepare to support the state’s emerging quality rating improvement system, QUALITYstarsNY.  There is a remarkable amount of talent, wisdom and energy throughout the CCRR system and at the ECLC itself, so I look forward to this opportunity,” noted Ms. Halas. 

About the Early Care & Learning Council

The organization now known as the Early Care & Learning Council (ECLC) was founded in the early 1970s when leaders from four child care organizations in Albany, Dutchess and Westchester counties and New York City came together to create New York’s first statewide child care coordinating council.  Their goals were to facilitate the exchange and dissemination of information on early care and education across New York; to make it easier to coordinate and plan on a statewide basis for early care and education services, for resources to fund the services, and for educational opportunities for providers; and to support the child care councils that then existed in New York and develop new ones.  

By 1975, the original group had become the not-for-profit New York State Association of Child Care Councils (then the New York State Child Care Coordinating Council and currently the Early Care & Learning Council).  The fledgling organization was dedicated to securing accessible, affordable and high quality child care/early education services for all children in New York.

Throughout its history, the state network organization has been focused on public policy and education.  Currently, the ECLC is a co-convener of Winning Beginning NY (WBNY)   along with the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, the NYS Association for the Education of Young Children and the Center for Children’s Initiatives.   Under the leadership of Executive Director Marsha Basloe, the ECLC delivers a range of programs and services to bring high quality early care and education to families throughout New York State, support its 39 member network, and deepen stakeholder investment in this issue.

To learn more about the Early Care and Learning Council, visit their web site,