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.