Let's do something great for Westchester's children!

• Do you have an amazing idea for your child care/after school program that needs some resources?
• Something you've always wanted to try?
• A promising approach that will make great things possible for Westchester children?

Then we encourage you to apply for a Cate Riley Innovation for Quality Prize. Three (3) grants up to $2,000 each will be awarded.

Find full list of activities here.

NYS Child Care Workforce Crisis is Keeping Children Out of Child Care*

• Over 25,000 children on waiting lists
• Over 28,000 children unable to receive care in their programs

Because:

• 90% of programs are understaffed
• 766 classrooms are closed
• Over 3,800 staff positions are vacant
• 35% programs are shortening their hours
• 67% of programs are reducing their capacity, closing classrooms, or shutting programs on short notice

The Child Care Workforce CRISIS is REAL

97% of all occupations pay more than child care in NYS.

While we work to make the compensation of the child care workforce equal to the value of their contribution to children, working parents and our whole economy, we need NYS to fund the Child Care Workforce Compensation Fund at $1Bil in this budget.

Recently, more than 150 parents, child care providers, nonprofit leaders and business executives from the Mid-Hudson region gathered to call on New York State elected leaders to adequately fund child care in the upcoming budget. Hear what the child care community had to say: Click Here!

Please do these 2 things today:

• Send your support letter to Governor Hochul and your representatives in the Senate and Assembly. Click Here! Just 3 mins of your time!

• Share this email with friends, family, co-workers, parents - everyone who cares about children and those who care for them.

The Early Learning Nation, a new publication on early learning, asks how we can have a strong child care policy without investing more in the child care workforce. Spoiler Alert - we can't. To read more, Click Here!

Dream Big will be a lively cocktail party where we'll have fun food and activities some of you may remember from your younger years. And, we're excited to honor our esteemed County Executive, George Latimer, and the Board of Legislators for their support of child care. But, that's not all.

This event is designed to remind us of the joys of childhood, and demonstrate what we want childhood to be like for every baby born in Westchester. Early years that are full of joy and wonder, and opportunities to learn, explore and grow. Clean spaces, lots of books and toys, room to run. Feeling loved, safe and secure. These aren't just nice-to-haves. These early experiences determine brain growth - which sets the stage for all future learning and social/emotional health. Without quality early care, kids will struggle to keep up with their peers when they enter kindergarten and meet their potential later in life.

We hope you will join us at Dream Big to have fun, celebrate our honorees, and support our work to bring about universal access to quality early child care.

Learn more and RSVP.