The Child Care Council of Westchester in Scarsdale, New York, has been awarded a $100,000 grant from Empire State Development through the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council Initiative. This funding will contribute to the development of a Child Care Workforce Training Center serving the Mid-Hudson Region.
The center will be located inside the Child Care Council’s new office space at 520 White Plains Road in Tarrytown, where the organization will relocate in June, and include a childcare training simulation room as well as two training classrooms. The simulation room, only the second in the state, will provide hands-on best practice learning opportunities and serve as a model for home-based childcare providers to optimize their own educational areas. The childcare workforce training rooms are nearly 1,500 square feet of flexible, modern space for in-person and online learning that will help childcare providers meet regulatory requirements, strengthen their businesses and provide excellent care. Ultimately, this will help ensure an adequate supply of childcare to meet the needs of the region’s working parents.
“This investment strengthens the industry immediately while setting off a ripple effect that improves child development, stabilizes families, supports the workforce and fuels long-term community and economic growth,” said Laura Newman, Child Care Council of Westchester executive director. “We’re grateful that the REDC recognized the potential in this project and has made this transformational impact possible.”
MHREDC Co-chairs Dr. Marsha Gordon and Dr. Kristine Young said, “Childcare is economic infrastructure — when providers have the training and resources they need to deliver quality care, working families thrive and regional economies grow stronger. This investment in the Child Care Council of Westchester reflects our commitment to building a workforce ecosystem in the Mid-Hudson Valley that works for everyone, from the
childcare professionals on the front lines to the parents and employers who depend on them.”
The Child Care Council of Westchester is a nonprofit resource organization founded in 1968 that champions the healthy development of children, families and communities by promoting quality early care and education. A unique “one stop” agency for childcare, the council connects parents with quality childcare and related financial resources, supports childcare providers with training and business best practices, assists employers with resources for their workforce and advocates for policies and funding that supports the needs of families and care providers.
Empire State Development is New York’s chief economic development agency and promotes business growth, job creation and greater economic opportunity throughout the state.
