Honor Child Care Council

Senate Resolution No. 5317 BY: Senator O'MARA COMMENDING the Chemung County Child Care Council, Inc. upon the occasion of celebrating its 45th Anniversary on June 12, 2018 WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize that the quality and character of life in the communities across New York State are reflective of the concerned and dedicated efforts of those organizations and individuals who would devote themselves to the welfare of the community and its citizenry; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend the Chemung County Child Care Council, Inc. upon the occasion of its 45th Anniversary to be celebrated at a party on Tuesday, June 12,

2018, at the Elmira Country Club in Elmira, New York; and WHEREAS, In the early 1970s, a group of individuals, many representing early childhood agencies, met together to share information, plan joint trainings and promote quality child care in Chemung County; the group decided to become a more formal organization, wrote by-laws, and named itself The Chemung County Cooperative; and WHEREAS, During the 1970s and 1980s, the Chemung County Cooperative established an Early Childhood Certificate Program at Elmira College; annual workshops on child care issues for parents and providers; advocacy sessions; and legislative forums; the Cooperative also conducted surveys to determine community child care needs, helped agencies implement programs such as a center at Bethany and the YWCA After School Program (then called Latch Key), and began a volunteer child care information and referral network; and WHEREAS, In 1982, Child Care Connection started as an offshoot of Head Start, and continued to grow after receiving its first contract from Chemung County to certify day care homes and administer the child care subsidy program; soon to follow were contracts from New York State to serve as the designated Child Care Resource and Referral agency for Chemung County and to administer the Child Adult Care Food Program; and WHEREAS, Three years later, the Chemung County Cooperative incorporated in 1985, and changed its name to the Chemung County Child Care Council, Inc.; and WHEREAS, In 2000, Head Start/Child Care Connection became a part of the Chemung County Child Care Council, Inc., and the agency moved from the Elmira Psychiatric Center to the Elmira Medical Arts Building attached to St. Joseph's Hospital; and WHEREAS, The Chemung County Child Care Council, Inc. applied for and received a Family Day Care Network grant from NYSOCFS for a three-year period which involved career planning, quality improvements, and resources for participating FDC homes; and WHEREAS, In 2005, the Chemung County Child Care Council, Inc. became a member of the School Readiness Project Steering Committee and launched the project with funding from the Community Foundation and Chemung County; the Council also began a Wrap Around Program with funding from The Youth Bureau, started an infant/toddler center which was operated by the YWCA with funding through SRP, and utilized funding from the Appalachian Regional Planning Commission to support a group of Family Day Care Providers in their business operation; and WHEREAS, In 2011-2012, the Chemung County Child Care Council, Inc. began the First Book Program for children visited by the CIDS Nurse Home Visitors, and implemented the Cavity Free Kids Project and the NAPSAC Project for prevention of childhood obesity; and WHEREAS, The Chemung County Child Care Council, Inc. moved to 1580 Lake Street-Suite 200 in Elmira in 2016; currently, the not-for-profit organization receives grant funding from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, the New York State Department of Health, Chemung County, EATON Corporation, Elmira City School District, Elmira Heights School District, Horseheads School District, the Anderson Foundation, the Community Foundation, and United Way; and WHEREAS, Chemung County Child Care Council, Inc. is a New York State Best Practiced Certified Child Care Resource and Referral agency which provides the following: child care referrals, administration of the child care subsidy program to assist income eligible working families with the cost of child care, assistance with subsidy billing for child care programs, sponsorship for the Child Adult Care Food program which reimbursed home based child care programs a portion of the cost of the food for day care meals/snacks, registrar for home based family day care and school age programs, operates the Elmira Family Resource Center, administers the Quality Initiative project to improve the quality of care for children birth-12 years of age, the First Book program for children in the CIDS Healthy Family Program, Traveling Book Program, infant/toddler services to support child care programs, legally exempt enrollment agency for child care programs, community education on child care and employer services; and WHEREAS, Since its inception, Chemung County Child Care Council, Inc. has continually fought for additional child care subsidy dollars so parents can obtain/retain employment, a quality trained well paid early care, an educated workforce, and increased involvement by area employers; and WHEREAS, The success of the Chemung County Child Care Council, Inc. is in direct correlation to the efforts of Executive Director Ruth A. Harvey and her staff, whose involvement is, and always has been, characterized by an impressive commitment, an unbridled enthusiasm, and an uncompromising standard of excellence in all endeavors on behalf of the institution and the community it serves; and WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those who enhance the well-being and vitality of their community and have shown a long and sustained commitment to excellence certainly have earned the recognition and applause of all the citizens of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commend the Chemung County Child Care Council, Inc. upon the occasion of celebrating its 45th Anniversary on June 12, 2018; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Ruth A. Harvey, Executive Director, Chemung County Child Care Council, Inc.