Quality Improvement & Best Practices
The quality of care that children receive between birth and age 5 sets the stage for the rest of their lives. With that in mind, we want to help Westchester's child care professionals provide the very best care possible, and we do that in a variety of ways:
Technical Assistance and Quality Improvement Support
The Child Care Council provides a range of technical assistance services to current or prospective child care providers to help with a wide variety of topics. Learn more about Technical Assistance and Quality Improvement Support.
Accreditation
Beyond the basic regulations established by the New York State Office for Children and Family Services, accreditation by a national organization requires child care providers to meet a higher level of standards. The Child Care Council encourages all programs to pursue accreditation as one method of improving care.
See a list of accredited programs in Westchester
The following organizations offer accreditation based on national quality standards:
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)
Council on Accreditation (COA)
American Camping Association (ACA)
Professional Credentials
Child Development Associate (CDA)
Infant and Toddler Care and Education Credential
Children's Program Administrator Credential
Early Care and Education Trainer's Credential
School Age Child Care Credential
See information on the CDA and various other credentials for child care professionals.
A Degree in Early Childhood Education
Several colleges and universities in our area offer degrees in Early Childhood Education:
Directors and Provider Network Meetings
Share best practices with other Westchester child care program directors and providers.
Westchester Early Childhood Directors Association Meetings:
The Network meets every third Tuesday of the month from 1 PM-3 PM at the Child Care Council office. Contact Howard Milbert at Ossining Children's Center at (914) 941-0230 or Dawn Meyerski at Mt. Kisco Child Care Center at (914) 241-2135 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for details.
School Age Directors Network (SADN):
The Network meets the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 10:00am-12:00pm. Contact Joanne Saporta at Chappaqua Childrens Workshop at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Kim DeSalvo at Ardsley Children's Center at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. more details.
Providers Network:
This group for registered family and licensed group family providers meets 4 times a year. For information about the network, contact Sarah Merrifield, CCCW Infant Toddler Specialist at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 914-761-3456 ext. 107.
Conferences
Attending a conference can be a great opportunity to learn from and network with peers from across the county, state or country.
National Conferences:
NAEYC Annual Conference & Expo
North American Reggio Emilia Alliance Summer Conference
NAEYC – Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development
New York State Conferences:
Annual National Afterschool Association Convention
New York State Association for the Education of Young Children