First Lady Jill Biden promotes education, childcare in Hudson Valley visit

First Lady Jill Biden arrived at New York Stewart International Airport outside of Newburgh this morning for a visit to Fishkill and Poughkeepsie. Among those on hand to greet her as she stepped off the government aircraft that brought her from Washington was New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s husband, William.

Mrs. Biden made a stop at Dutchess Community College in Fishkill where she met students and spoke at the opening of the Mechatronics facility, a laboratory for the study and experimentation with devices that combine mechanics and electronics. The lab is funded in part by the American Rescue Plan, a hallmark of the Biden Administration.

Mrs. Biden said that the lab will help students develop the skills they need to be creative in the business world. She said they’d develop the skills to design any number of products from jet engines to semiconductors and electronic display devices.

The 6,000-square-foot lab offers training in electrical technology, air conditioning and refrigeration, supply chain automation and other areas where things mechanical and electrical and electronic merge.

Other speakers at the Dutchess Community College event included: Johanna Duncan-Porter, senior vice chancellor for community colleges and the education pipeline at SUNY; Harold King, president of The Council of Industry; Hope Knight, president, CEO and commissioner at Empire State Development; Dutchess County Executive  William F.X. O’Neil; U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan; and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

Mrs. Biden visited the DAY ONE Early Learning Community in Poughkeepsie. Her stop there was to highlight the importance of early childhood education and childcare and to push for strengthening of the educator workforce. She toured the center, met the staff and youngsters there and also met with education leaders from the community. Biden visited The Reformed Church of Poughkeepsie, where she said that she is so grateful for the work that has been done by the leaders and staff of DAY ONE to help children in the community grow.

“When children are born, we look into their eyes and see every possibility,” Biden said. “As a mother and grandmother I know that feeling well. You say, ‘our kids can do anything,’ because they can. Children are the smartest investment we can make in our nation’s future.”

Biden said that today’s children will grow up to be the ones to cure cancer, combat climate change and keep us out of future wars. She said that as she has traveled across the country, numerous people have told her that obtaining adequate childcare services is among the biggest challenges they face.

“As some of you may know, I teach writing at a community college outside of Washington, D.C. And one day, I had a student come in with her 4-year-old,” Biden said. “The moment I locked eyes with that student, I could see her distress, and I knew exactly what happened: Her child care had fallen through, but she couldn’t afford to miss the class. She set up her son with a box of crayons and some paper in the corner of the room, and I tried to give her a smile when I saw her looking at him nervously – praying he’d make it through the class.”
 
Biden said that the same scene she witnessed plays out every day across the country.

“Maybe some of you have seen it. Maybe some of you have been that parent,” Biden said. “Maybe your work or school didn’t let you bring your child in at all and you had to lose pay or miss class. I know that you’ve seen that challenge right here in Poughkeepsie;”

Biden characterized what she saw during her visit to DAY ONE as “incredible and innovative.”