From the Executive Director

Introducing Child Care Council Staff

The Child Care Council of Dutchess and Putnam, Inc. offers a variety of services to child care providers, parents, businesses, and the community. For many years, we have been in the business of offering parents referrals to child care programs, registering family day care and school-age child care programs, and coordinating the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) for home-based child care providers. 

A round of applause, please, for this extraordinary group of women!

Child Care Referral Service

Our referral services provide families looking for child care a list of programs that meets their location and scheduling needs. We provide guidance on what to look for and what questions to ask while performing their child care search. To best serve you and the families in our area, please make sure we have the most up to date information about your child care program. You can let us know about any change in your hours of operation, rates, and openings that you may have by using our Provider Update form available on our website.

(Please be sure to tell your registrar or licensor about any changes in your hours of operation.) If you have more detailed changes or updates, please email us at services@childcaredutchess.org or call the referral service at (845) 473-4141 x221.

Hi, everyone! 

Did you know that integrating cognitive, emotional, social, interpersonal skills and self-regulatory competencies better prepares children for more challenging academic content and learning experiences? -NAEYC, 2020 

Why is this so important? As an Infant Toddler Specialist, I meet and hear of many parents who are concerned about their toddler’s cognitive development. Parents often assess that development based on the projects done in childcare, and how many numbers, letters, colors, and shapes their two-year-olds recognize....

Dear Provider Letter- November 1-Revised Anaphylaxis Policy 

Programs that stock non-patient-specific epinephrine auto-injectors must have at least one staff person complete the required training and be responsible for the oversight of the auto-injectors. Once successfully completed, this training does not need to be repeated.

A day care program may administer emergency epinephrine to any person (children, staff, visitors) experiencing an anaphylactic reaction. After administering emergency epinephrine the program must immediately call 911, notify the parent and OCFS and complete an incident report

Child Care Cold Weather Reminders

Click here to access the Child Care Weather Watch Chart.

Please be safe this winter and remember, children need to get that fresh air outdoor time even during the winter.  Keep paths of egress free and clear from snow and ice and well-treated for families and visitors coming into your program. Maintain a comfortable temperature in the program and remember that portable electric heaters may not be used in child care programs.

Regulation Reminder

FDC:417.4(h)(4) All paths of egress on the interior and exterior of the home, including corridors, aisles and approaches must be kept free of obstructions, impediments, and debris at all times.

FDC: 417.5(c) Portable electric heaters or other portable heating devices, regardless of the type of fuel used, may not be used in rooms accessible to the children.

FDC: 417.3(d) A temperature of at least 68° degrees Fahrenheit must be maintained in all rooms to be occupied by children.

SACC: 414.5(c) Portable electric heaters or other portable heating devices, regardless of the type of fuel used, may not be used in school-age child care programs.

SACC:414.4(f)(2) All corridors, aisles, and approaches to exits must be kept unobstructed at all times.

SACC: 414.3(d) A temperature of at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit must be maintained in all rooms to be occupied by children.

What is it??

Respiratory illnesses are very common this time of year. While influenza, COVID-19, respiratory synctial virus (RSV), and the cold have similar symptoms they also have some key differences.

Other things to consider:

Flu symptoms usually come on very suddenly whereas with Covid-19 and RSV. symptoms come on more slowly and build over time

RSV is more contagious than a cold, COVID-19 and the flu.

Infants are at high risk for severe disease from RSV, potentially leading to pneumonia.

One of the first questions I ask providers during a business training session is when was the last time that you raised your child care fees? More often than not, providers will either say that they have never raised their rates, or it has been several years since they last raised them. It is not only OK to raise your rates, but also strongly recommended.

We would like to introduce a new trainer and training!  Meet Rachel, founder, director and instructor at the Harmony Garden Music Center located in Hopewell Junction.  The Child Care Council of Dutchess and Putnam, Inc. recently collaborated with Rachel to bring her love of music and early childhood education to our professional development opportunities.

Upcoming December & January Trainings:

December 17, 2024 – Making STEAM Cool in After School

January 14, 2025 – Navigating FAMS

January 16, 2025 – Building Blocks to Creativity: Empowering Loose Parts Play

January 25, 2025 – First Aid/CPR

January 28, 2025 – Control the Climate Not the Child

January 30, 2025 – Active Shooter Training

The USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) gives reimbursement to providers for serving nutritious meals and snacks to the children and adults in their care. CACFP ensures proper development, improves nutrition security and decreases food insecurity. 

Infant Toddler Mental Health Consultants work together with caregivers to:

Reduce challenging behaviors by getting to the root of what triggers the behavior.

Respond to behaviors in nurturing ways.

Help children to develop socially appropriate skills including sharing and resolving conflicts.

Create supportive environment for the children.

Strengthening & support relationships with families.

Connect with local resources through referral to support providers and families.

Conduct classroom observations & assessments to promote healthy social emotional growth, identify strengths & reduce challenges.