COMMON MAPS
Map version new-york activity top-down
Main site Contact
Menu
↑ parent activity group ·
research dossier

BRIGHTSIDE UP INC
MENANDS, NY · EIN 141648493 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE P33L · Human Services · Medium ($1M-$10M)
revenue
$6.5M
expenses
$6.6M
net assets
$1.2M
employees
65
volunteers
14
program ratio
92%
mission · from form 990

RESOURCE AND REFERRAL AGENCY DEDICATED TO PROMOTING QUALITY AND ACCESSIBLE CHILD CARE.BRIGHTSIDE UP, INC. (ORGANIZATION), IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION ORGANIZED TO FUNCTION AS A RESOURCE AND REFERRAL AGENCY DEDICATED TO PROMOTING QUALITY, ACCESSIBLE CHILD CARE FOR ALL OF THE CAPITAL REGION'S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. THE ORGANIZATION ASSUMES A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN SUPPORTING CHILDREN, PARENTS, PROVIDERS AND EMPLOYERS THROUGH REFERRAL COUNSELING, EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND ADVOCACY. THE ORGANIZATION IS PRIMARILY SUPPORTED BY GRANT INCOME.

profile · synthesized from sources

Resource and referral agency promoting quality, accessible child care in New York's Capital Region. Supports children, parents, child care providers, and employers through counseling, training, and advocacy. Assists with child care provider recruitment, licensing, and technical assistance, with a focus on infant-toddler care and regional collaboration across 17 counties.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $1.77M
    CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL PROGRAMS: THE ORGANIZATION IS A RESOURCE AND REFERRAL AGENCY WHICH PROVIDES RESOURCES TO THE COMMUNITY BY IMPROVING THE AVAILABILITY AND QUALITY OF CHILD CARE AND ASSISTS PARENTS IN FINDING CHILD CARE. RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT INVOLVES RECRUITING, TRAINING, AND ASSISTING CHILD CARE PROVIDERS IN MEETING STATE REGISTRATION AND LICENSING REQUIREMENTS. IT ALSO CONSISTS OF PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS AND AGENCIES INTERESTED IN STARTING CENTERS, FAMILY CHILD CARE, AND SCHOOL-AGE CHILD CARE PROGRAMS.
  2. #2 $730K
    INFANT-TODDLER PROGRAM: THE ORGANIZATION IS A RESOURCE AND REFERRAL AGENCY WHICH PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TRAINING FOR CHILD CARE PROGRAMS IN REGION 4, CONSISTING OF 17 COUNTIES. COLLABORATION WITH OTHER RESOURCE AND REFERRAL AGENCIES IN THE REGION TO PROVIDE QUALITY CARE IN INFANT TODDLER CLASSROOMS, MEETING LICENSING REQUIREMENTS AND BEST PRACTICES. ALSO OFFERING INFANT MENTAL HEALTH STRATEGIES ACROSS REGION 4 THROUGH TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Child Care Resource and Referral Program
Provides resources to improve availability and quality of child care, assists parents in finding care, and supports child care providers through recruitment, training, and technical assistance for state registration and licensing.
Family Child Care and School-Age Registration Services
Contracts with county Departments of Social Services to process registration applications, conduct inspections, and investigate complaints for family child care and school-age programs in Albany, Schenectady, and Rensselaer Counties.
Infant-Toddler Program
Offers technical assistance and training to child care programs across Region 4 (17 counties) to improve quality of infant-toddler classrooms, meet licensing requirements, and implement infant mental health strategies.
activities · 4 groups

What they do

  • Child Care Provider Support Services 3 activities
    • Infant and toddler care quality improvement
      Delivers technical assistance and training to child care programs focused on improving quality care in infant-toddler classrooms and implementing infant mental health strategies. Includes specialized coaching, mentoring, and mental health consultation for early educators.
    • Professional development and training for child care providers
      Offers free training and ongoing education to child care providers on food safety, nutrition, menu planning, shopping, and budgeting. Provides hands-on, interactive training and coaching sessions for professional development, including classroom-based coaching and reflective practice.
    • Support for aspiring child care providers
      Offers free Family Child Care Orientation and Information Sessions for individuals interested in becoming child care providers to support recruitment and professional entry into the field.
  • Subsidized Child Care Services 2 activities
    • Child care program administration and compliance services
      Contracts with Departments of Social Services in Albany, Schenectady, and Rensselaer Counties to process family child care and school-age program registration applications, conduct inspections, and investigate complaints.
    • Child care resource and referral services
      Provides free child care referrals through Parent Educators who help families identify suitable child care programs based on their needs. Also improves access to quality child care by assisting parents in finding care and supporting child care providers with recruitment, training, and meeting state licensing requirements.
  • CACFP Meal Service and Administration 1 activity
    • Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) support
      Provides reimbursement for nutritious foods served to young children through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) in New York, along with training on nutrition and menu planning.
  • Early Childhood Education & Development Programs 1 activity
    • Early childhood educational resources
      Provides educational tip cards, recipes, social stories, community reports, summer camp resources, and Home and Classroom magazine to support early childhood development and family engagement in areas such as problem-solving, sensory skills, grief, letter recognition, and fine motor skills.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$6.54M
Contributions & grants$6.02M92%
Program service revenue$502K8%
Investment income$12K0%
Other revenue$10K
expenses
Total expenses$6.61M
Program expenses92%
Admin / overhead8%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$3.95M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$2.50M
Cash$306K
Investments$0
Liabilities$1.30M
Net assets$1.21M
Liquid reserves0.6 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -3.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
KEELY M WEISE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 38 $138K
ABBE KOVACIK EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 38 $132K
board members · 14
  • ALLISON TURICIO — BOARD MEMBER
  • CARMELA PASQUARELLA — VICE PRESIDENT
  • CHRISTA GRANT — BOARD MEMBER
  • CONSTANCE LARKINS-REYNOLDS — BOARD MEMBER
  • DEIRDRE GRECO — BOARD MEMBER
  • DEMETRIS E FULLARD — BOARD MEMBER
  • ELLEN BURNS — BOARD MEMBER
  • KATHY M MESSORE — BOARD MEMBER
  • MICHELLE JARVAIS — TREASURER
  • NIKKI A CARUSO — PRESIDENT
  • PHYLLIS J HATHAWAY — BOARD MEMBER
  • REBECCA FITCH — BOARD MEMBER
  • SUSAN BIRKHEAD — SECRETARY
  • TAMI B CALLISTER — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 6

Who they work with

  • Albany, NY Partner — Primary community location for delivering child development support services
  • Child and Adult Care Food Program Government — Administers CACFP to support nutrition in childcare settings.
  • Department of Health Government — Collaborates with the Department of Health for CACFP participation by child care centers.
  • Departments of Social Services in Albany, Schenectady, and Rensselaer Counties Partner — Contracts with the organization to provide registration, inspection, and complaint investigation services for family child care and school-age programs.
  • Empire State Family Child Care Collaborative Network — Participates in a state-level collaborative to strengthen family child care services.
  • It’s our 45th anniversary! 45 years of community service and support: 1981-2026 Network — Celebrates 45 years of continuous community service from 1981 to 2026
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Integrated Provider Support Ecosystem
    methodology: integrated_provider_support
    By connecting child care providers with federal nutrition programs, state collaboratives, and health consultation services, we improve program quality and sustainability because coordinated access to multiple support systems addresses both regulatory and operational challenges holistically.
  • Long-Term Community Engagement for Sustainable Impact
    methodology: long-term_community_support
    By sustaining long-term community service and support as a core model, we build trust and continuity that enable deeper engagement and lasting improvements in child and family outcomes because relationships and institutional memory compound over time.
  • Needs-Based Capacity Building with Reflective Practice
    methodology: needs-based_training_design, reflective_coaching_with_assessment_tools
    By designing training and coaching programs based on expressed provider needs and using classroom assessment tools to guide reflective in-classroom coaching, we achieve quality improvements because the approach ensures relevance and supports educators in making evidence-based adjustments.
  • Personalized Referral and Family Support Model
    methodology: personalized_referral_service
    By conducting personalized phone consultations to assess family needs and generate custom child care recommendations, we increase enrollment and fit because tailored guidance reduces search burden and aligns families with programs that meet their specific circumstances.
  • Play-Based Learning for Foundational Development
    methodology: play-based_learning
    By using play as the primary method of learning, we develop children’s cognitive and social abilities because play naturally engages curiosity, problem-solving, and emotional regulation in developmentally appropriate ways.