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Westchester County Leads the Way in Child Care

In it's new 2023 budget, Westchester County cuts expensive child care bills by continuing the Westchester Works Child Care Scholarship and by reducing the parent share for child care assistance from 10% to 5% of income over the Federal Poverty Level.

Westchester County knows that access to safe, affordable child care is not only essential for individual families but also for our employers.

We extend our deepest gratitude to County Executive George Latimer and his team and the Westchester County Board of Legislators for making life easier and better for hard-working Westchester families.

The Child Care Council of Westchester continues to follow the CDC's COVID-19 prevention strategies. The current COVID-19 community level is high in Westchester County and so we are now requiring masks to be worn by our staff and all visitors to our office building. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided. Thank you for your cooperation and assistance.

El Child Care Council of Westchester continúa siguiendo las estrategias de prevención del COVID-19 de la CDC. En el condado de Westchester actualmente el nivel de COVID-19 es alto. Por lo que a hora exigimos que nuestro personal y todos los visitantes a nuestro edificio de oficinas usen mascaras. Si no tiene una máscara, se le proporcionará una. Gracias por su cooperación y asistencia.

Each year, the Child Care Council's Public Policy Committee drafts an agenda to determine the focus of advocacy efforts. The 2023 agenda, approved by the Board of Directors at our October meeting, sets an ambitious course.

"Children and families need your active support of the Child Care Council's 2023 Public Policy Agenda," said Camille Murphy, Chair of Public Policy Committee. "With your help, the USA will move into a leadership position for children in our nation, state and local communities - where it should be."

Without early and proper identification and management, asthma can be life threatening, limit physical, social and emotional development and result in long-term disabilities.   Repeated visits to the doctor and emergency room could be reduced with better asthma management.  The most common chronic condition among children, asthma  is the third leading cause of hospitalizations for children under age 15 years, and even higher for children under 5. 

Now Westchester parents looking for child care for their children with asthma and allergies  have more options, thanks to the Asthma Educational Initiative, funded by the Thomas & Agnes Carvel Foundation.  Under the direction of Katherine Mancini, Director of Health Care Consultant Services at the Council, 9 programs earned certificates of completion for the American Lung Association’s Asthma Basics Course.  The course covered how to identify the severity of an asthma episode, how to recognize and reduce asthma triggers, how to follow a child’s Asthma Action Plan, and what to do in an emergency.  Participants also received equipment and materials including nebulizer machines and parts (tubing, masks, etc.), HEPA vacuums, air purifiers, children’s books with asthma themes and a resource binder.

A total of 93 staff participated from the following child care programs:

• Baby Cubs (New Rochelle)
• Queens Daughters (Yonkers)
• YMCA (White Plains)
• Gregory (Harrison)
• The Indy Lab (Elmsford)
• Paul’s (Rye Brook)
• Kids Are People (Scarsdale)
• Kids Are People 2 (Scarsdale)
• Happy Caterpillars (Harrison)

These programs are now identified in our comprehensive referral database as having completed the Asthma Basics Course.

We want to congratulate the participating programs for deepening their capacity to care for young children with asthma and of course thank the Carvel Foundation, which made this project possible.