Empowerment Through Information and Support

Provides free child care referral services to families in St. Lawrence County through phone support during business hours and an online request system with responses within one business day. Offers guidance, factual information, lists of local options, and supplemental materials such as the 'Guide to Quality Child Care in St. Lawrence County' to support parents in selecting care.

Coordinates, strengthens, and expands child care services across St. Lawrence County with a focus on education, networking, and quality improvement. Operates as a designated child care resource and referral agency serving families, providers, and employers.

Compiles and shares weekly child care rate data from the NYS Office of Children & Family Services Market Rate Survey for St. Lawrence County. Provides public access to compliance history information for Registered Family Child Care and School-Age Child Care programs in the county.

Administers the NYS Child Care Assistance Program locally, including enrollment for legally exempt providers, distribution and collection of enrollment forms, and implementation of a sliding fee scale based on family income and size. Offers multi-child discounts, individualized fee negotiations, and scholarships to reduce or eliminate costs for eligible families.

Organizes networking opportunities for child care providers and participates in the NYS Office of Children & Family Services Region III Infant and Toddler Technical Assistance Network to support provider development. Offers training and resources specifically for infant/toddler program start-up and expansion.

Planning an Early Childhood Conference scheduled for Fall 2026 to support education and networking within the child care sector in St. Lawrence County.

Highlights and communicates research findings on the developmental, academic, and long-term societal impacts of high-quality versus poor-quality child care, with emphasis on benefits for low-income children and families.

Provides information, training, and technical assistance to child care providers on licensing, registration, program operations, and compliance. Offers support for accessing the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), maintains a resource lending library, and distributes a quarterly newsletter with activity ideas and sector news.

Provides information to families about accessing child care cost assistance through employer-sponsored benefits programs and offers contact support for child care tax credit inquiries.

Provides home or office visits and operates the Healthy Families referral and home visiting program, delivering intensive education, coaching, life skills support, and family advocacy to improve parenting skills, enhance child safety, and prevent child placement or removal, with services available for up to five years.

Provides concrete material supports such as car seats, diapers, cribs, child safety items, and clothing to families experiencing hardship.

Shares information with the public at community events through informational tables and responds to inquiries about child care provider compliance history, increasing transparency and access to quality care options.

Organizes the Director's Coalition, a professional networking group for child care center directors in Ontario, Seneca, and Yates Counties that meets bi-monthly to support leadership development and sector collaboration.

Operates the Yates Children's Center in Penn Yan and a supervised drop-in center at the Yates County Courthouse, providing accessible child care during court-related visits and other family engagements.

Operates multiple service locations in Ontario, Seneca, and Yates Counties (Canandaigua, Penn Yan, Geneva, Seneca Falls) offering accessible programming for parents, caregivers, and child care providers during regular weekday hours, with some locations requiring appointments.

Produces and shares statistical reports on child care supply and demand, average costs, economic indicators, salary and benefit comparisons, and tuition rates for use by parents, providers, employers, government agencies, and community organizations to inform decision-making and advocacy.

Offers a range of parenting groups, workshops, and classes—including Together Time, Baby Cafe, Families in Transition, Family Connections, and Project Promise—both informally and through structured one-on-one or small group formats, to build parenting skills, provide child development education, and foster peer support networks across multiple counties.

Sponsors Family and Group Family Child Care homes in Ontario, Seneca, and Yates Counties via the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), supporting access to nutritious meals for children in care settings.