SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE $1.2 MILLION FOR HIGH-QUALITY, AFFORDABLE DAY CARE IN DUTCHESS COUNTY
Funding Will Allow DAY ONE Early Learning Community In Poughkeepsie To Establish New Classroom for 18-36 Month-Olds And Expand Offerings for 3-4 Year-Olds
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that they have secured $1,200,000 in the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations package for DAY ONE Early Learning Community, a preschool in Poughkeepsie that serves low-income children and families. The funding will allow DAY ONE to hire seven new staff, open new classrooms, and serve 40% more students, whose families might not otherwise be able to afford high-quality day care.
"With this $1.2 million for DAY ONE, we are taking a crucial step forward to tackle child care shortages and bolster early childhood education in the Hudson Valley. This significant federal funding will expand access to preschool for our youngest, most vulnerable children giving them the resources early on which will set them up for a brighter future,” said Senator Schumer. “Thanks to these federal dollars, DAY ONE will provide a high-quality, affordable pre-school option to in-need families, while also expanding job opportunities for our Hudson Valley teachers, boosting early childhood education with teachers trained within our communities. I’m proud to deliver funding that will invest in the future success and well-being of our children, laying the groundwork for a brighter and more equitable tomorrow for all.”
“A shortage of affordable child care providers in the Hudson Valley means that too many working parents have to make the impossible choice between going to work and taking care of their kids,” said Senator Gillibrand. “DAY ONE provides a lifeline to families in Dutchess County, offering low-cost early childhood education to dozens of families in the region. This funding will allow DAY ONE to hire more staff, open more classrooms, and reach even more children between the ages of 18 months and four years. I’m proud to have fought to secure this funding, and I’ll keep working to make child care affordable and accessible for all New Yorkers.”
“I thank the senators for their hard work in securing this critically important funding,” said City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers. “So many parents are struggling to find day care, and the costs have grown dramatically as well over the last few years. DAY ONE Early Learning Community develops teachers and provides a supportive learning community that empowers parents to be involved in their children’s education and help parents enter or re-enter the workforce. This funding will greatly assist DAY ONE by making it possible to hire more staff, open new classrooms and serve more children.”
###
