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New Service Aims to Reduce Child Care Suspensions, Expulsions of Children with Special Needs

February 13 2023

A new prevention-based, consultative service at Child Care Council Inc. will help ensure children with disabilities have access to quality child care. Child Care Council’s special needs consultation service will equip caregivers with strategies and supports to reduce suspension and expulsion for young children with disabilities in child care. Built on relationship-based practices, the service […]

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    New Service Aims to Reduce Child Care Suspensions, Expulsions of Children with Special Needs

    New Service Aims to Reduce Child Care Suspensions, Expulsions of Children with Special Needs

    A new prevention-based, consultative service at Child Care Council Inc. will help ensure children with disabilities have access to quality child care.

    Child Care Council’s special needs consultation service will equip caregivers with strategies and supports to reduce suspension and expulsion for young children with disabilities in child care. Built on relationship-based practices, the service is provided through observation, modeling and collaboration.

    According to a 2018 article by the Center for American Progress, “Suspensions Are Not Support,” children with disabilities in early childhood settings represent about 13% of enrolled children but account for 75% of suspensions and expulsions. Children with autism are the most likely to be suspended or expelled, according to Child Care Council, which served 125 families who self-reported at least one child was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders between January 2016 and December 2019.

    Child Care Council’s team of special needs consultants will provide a caring, compassionate, responsive and effective service to meet each program and child’s unique needs. The special needs consultation service is funded by a $175,000 grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation.

    The service, which does not provide 1-to-1 care to children, is available in Monroe, Wayne and Livingston counties. Child care providers interested in learning more about this service can contact Bethany Williams, special needs services supervisor, at 585.654.1287 or [email protected].

    Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of vulnerable communities, eliminate barriers to care, and bridge gaps in health services. Named after a tireless advocate for immigrants, children, and the poor, the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation funds programs and initiatives across New York State that either provide direct healthcare services or address the social determinants of health. For more information, visit https://www.cabrinihealth.org/. Further information: [email protected].

    Child Care Professional Urgent Fund

    June 29, 2022

    Attention Early Childhood Professionals: You may be eligible for assistance through the Child Care Professional Urgent Fund, a partnership of Child Care Council and ESL Charitable Foundation.

    For more information: https://childcarecouncil.com/community-resources/child-care-professionals/

    Child Care Subsidy Funding Available

    April 4, 2022

    The Workforce Development Institute’s Child Care Subsidy Facilitated Enrollment Program is providing funding for income-eligible families who reside in Monroe County and work a minimum of 25 hours per week.

    Download the brochure with more information.

    Refugees Can Get Assistance Starting Their Own Family Child Care Businesses, Through Federal Grant Program

    February 28, 2022

    Child Care Council and Urban League of Rochester partnering on local effort

    Child Care Council Inc. and Urban League of Rochester, N.Y. Inc. are teaming up to help local refugees become more self-sufficient by launching and operating family child care businesses.

    Grant funding from the federal Refugee Family Child Care Microenterprise Development program is designed to enable refugees who have experience caring for small children to use their child care skills to earn an income. It also helps refugees who care for their own young children, allowing them to work in their homes as it is a significant challenge to work outside of their homes.

    Child Care Council is one of only nine programs across the country to receive this federal grant funding, which totals $174,310.00 annually for three years. Urban League of Rochester will assist the Council in identifying potential grantees in the city of Rochester.

    “Through this program, people who have recently come to the U.S. will not only be able to provide for their own families, but they also have the opportunity to attain the American dream of opening their own business,” said Jeff Pier, CEO, Child Care Council. “Child Care Council is excited to partner with Urban League of Rochester on this project, which will create new child care programs that help strengthen the community and make up for some of the programs that were forced to closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

    Chantz B. Miles, division director of business development, Urban League of Rochester, said, “The business development division at the Urban League of Rochester (ULR) is excited to have this partnership with Child Care Council. The hurdles that providers have to jump through to sustain their businesses are both intimidating and difficult. This partnership between Child Care Council and the Urban League of Rochester will help our child care providers sustain, strengthen and grow their businesses. ULR is committed and dedicated to being a key role player in building and sustaining our child care provider businesses here in Monroe County.”

    To be eligible for the program, refugees currently living in Monroe, Livingston or Wayne counties must have lived in the U.S. for less than five years and be interested in starting a family child care business. Child Care Council will provide training in child care and business skills, as well as assistance with applying for a child care license. Eligible individuals also will receive a cash stipend of up to $3,000 for business supplies and materials.

    Refugees eligible for the program can contact Osman Hussein, Child Care Council’s multicultural support specialist, by email at [email protected].

    Grant Funding to Address “Child Care Deserts” in the Finger Lakes Region

    February 2, 2022

    Funding will support new child care programs or expanding child care businesses
    that help alleviate care shortages

    New and existing child care businesses in the Finger Lakes region will have an opportunity to access grant funding to help address “child care deserts” – areas in the region with child care shortages.

    Child Care Council Inc. is working with three other child care resource and referral agencies (CCR&Rs) to partner with New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) to offer federal grant funding to new licensed, registered or permitted child care programs in areas of the state with low supply. OCFS is making $70 million in grant funding available statewide to new licensed, registered or permitted child care programs. These funds are part of a $100 million child care initiative approved in the 2021 Enacted Budget through the American Rescue Plan Act.

    The grants will support new child care providers in creating their child care program and in recruiting, retaining and training staff to meet workforce demands. Grant recipients can also use the funding to support start-up expenses, personnel costs, general child care business expenses and staff expenses in accessing COVID-19 vaccines. Additional details on eligibility and requirements of the grant can be found in the Request for Applications at https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/funding/#RFA1.

    Grant applications will be accepted beginning April 11, 2022, and the application deadline is May 19, 2022. Interested child care businesses must apply on the OCFS website at https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/childcare/deserts/. Applicants must request an application for license before grant application submission. All applicants must complete the OCFS or the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene online orientation before applying at https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/childcare/providers/cdc-orientation.php. Once completing the orientation, applicants can request a licensing application.

    Applicants needing assistance with starting child care programs can contact their county’s OCFS Regional Office (https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/childcare/regional-offices.php) or their local child care resource and referral agency, which can help with the licensing process. Regional CCR&R offices are:

    • Child Care Council Inc., serving Monroe, Livingston and Wayne counties – childcarecouncil.com
    • Chemung County Child Care Council Inc. – chemchildcare.com
    • Child and Family Resources Inc., serving Ontario, Seneca, and Yates counties – cfresources.org
    • Pro Action Child Care Council – proactioninc.org/cca

    Jeff Pier, Child Care Council CEO, said, “Child Care Council is pleased to partner with New York state to address child care shortages in Monroe, Livingston and Wayne counties. There was a care shortage in our urban and rural communities before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pandemic simply made the crisis worse. This funding opportunity will help fill the gap for families that don’t have access to child care, while also helping new child care businesses get up and running and enabling existing providers to expand.”

    Ruth A. Harvey, executive director, Chemung County Child Care Council Inc., said, “In Chemung County, we see a continued need for additional quality child care slots for children of working families, especially infant and toddler care. This funding presents the chance for expansion in current programs as well as the opportunity for new programs to help meet the demand. New York state’s vision for the expansion of quality child care slots across the entire state will benefit many children and families.”

    Julie Champion, executive director, Child and Family Resources Inc., said, “We have had an ongoing need for additional quality child care slots for children of working families in Ontario, Seneca, and Yates Counties, especially in more rural areas. The need is even greater for infant and toddler care. New Child Care Desert funding provides an opportunity for new child care programs and an expansion of slots in existing child care programs. Working families, children, our communities – and New York –needs this investment.”

    Margie Lawlor, director, Pro Action Child Care Council, said, “Parts of our region lack sufficient child care options for all ages, and the entire region lacks sufficient child care options for infants and toddlers. This Child Care Desert funding is a great opportunity for local providers to open or expand. With this investment, we can begin to address the child care shortages that hold parents back from fully participating in the workforce.”

    Attention Employers: Introducing Vroom

    September 3, 2021
    • Vroom is an exciting national program that supports healthy child brain development.
    • It shows parents how they can turn activities like bath time and mealtime into opportunities that build their children’s brains.
    • Child Care Council is offering several ways for you to help, such as participating in virtual lunch-and-learn events, including program information in your internal newsletters, and sharing resources with your employees.

    To learn more about this free resource, contact Renee Scholz, Child Care Council, at: 585.654.1286 or email us at [email protected].

    Visit the Vroom website or view a sample Vroom tip.

    Child Care Council Providing Technical Assistance to Providers Seeking State Child Care Stabilization Grants

    August 9, 2021

    Child care providers interested in applying for a stabilization grant from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) can receive technical support and assistance from Child Care Council.

    OCFS is currently accepting applications for the child care stabilization grants made available through the federal American Rescue Plan Act and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act. The goals of the grants are to provide financial relief to child care providers to help cover unexpected business costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and to help stabilize their operations so they may continue to provide care. New York state is making $1.1 billion available statewide.

    Grant funds can be used for such items as personnel costs, rent, facility improvements, personal protective equipment, cleaning and sanitization supplies and services, or training and professional development related to health and safety practices. To be eligible, providers must be licensed or registered day care centers, group family day cares, school-age child care, family day care, small day care centers or enrolled legally exempt group programs.

    “The COVID-19 pandemic has been incredibly challenging for everyone, and it has been devastating to child care providers – many who have lost income and some who had to close their doors,” said Jeff Pier, executive director, Child Care Council. “OCFS’ child care stabilization grant is an unprecedented opportunity and investment to help child care providers who have been hurting to bounce back and continue providing quality care to children in our community. Child Care Council is available to help providers navigate through the application process.”

    To streamline the application process, OCFS is offering a single online application, and the application deadline is Nov. 30, 2021. Child Care Council can assist providers who need help completing the online application. Providers can contact the Council at [email protected] or 585.654.4794.

    COVID Vaccine

    January 15, 2021

    Registered and Licensed child care providers are now eligible to receive the COVID vaccine in phase 1B. You must go to this website to complete the eligibility form and make an appointment. There is detailed information on the site. https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/

    New Emergency Regulations Regarding Non-Medical Vaccine Exceptions

    August 19, 2019

    Joint Statement From State of New York on New Legislation Regarding Non-medical Vaccination Exemptions for Children in Child Care

    June 18, 2019

    Statement on Legislation Removing Non-Medical Exemption
    from School Vaccination Requirements


    On June 13, 2019, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation removing non-medical exemptions from school vaccination requirements for children. The United States is currently experiencing the worst outbreak of measles in more than 25 years, with outbreaks in pockets of New York primarily driving the crisis. As a result of non-medical vaccination exemptions, many communities across New York have unacceptably low rates of vaccination, and those unvaccinated children can often attend school where they may spread the disease to other unvaccinated students, some of whom cannot receive vaccines due to medical conditions. This new law will help protect the public amid this ongoing outbreak.

    What did the new law do?
    As of June 13, 2019, there is no longer a religious exemption to the requirement that children be vaccinated against measles and other diseases to attend either:
    • public, private or parochial school (for students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade), or
    • child day care settings.

    For those children who had a religious exemption to vaccination, what are the deadlines for being vaccinated?
    Children who are attending child day care or public, private or parochial school, and who had a religious exemption to required immunizations, must now receive the first age appropriate dose in each immunization series by June 28, 2019 to attend or remain in school or child day care. Also, by July 14, 2019 parents and guardians of such children must show that they have made appointments for all required follow-up doses. The deadlines for follow-up doses depend on the vaccine. The New York State Department of Health follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices catch-up immunization schedule and expects children to receive required doses consistent with Table 2 at the following link in order to continue to attend school or child day care: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/child/0-18yrs-child-combined-schedule.pdf

    What is the deadline for first dose vaccinations if my child is not attending school until September?
    Parents and guardians of all children who do not have their required immunizations are encouraged to have them receive the first dose as soon as possible. The deadline for obtaining first dose vaccinations for children attending school in the fall is 14 days from the first day of school. Within 30 days of the first day of school, parents and guardians of such children must show that they have made appointments for all required follow-up doses.

    Additional information will be forthcoming.

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