The Need in the Adirondacks

Every child deserves the chance to thrive, and every family deserves access to the support they need. Yet in the Adirondack region, gaps in funding, access, and infrastructure are holding too many children and families back. Addressing these challenges requires bold, strategic investments and a unified approach. The Adirondack Birth to Three Alliance is committed to building a comprehensive early childhood system that ensures every child and family has the opportunity to succeed—because when we invest in our youngest residents, we’re investing in the future of our communities.

The Building Blocks of a Better Future

1. To build a streamlined early childhood system that makes it easier for families to access support, reduces stress on providers, and ensures every dollar of funding is used effectively. That means:
   • Bringing local agencies, organizations, service providers, and partners together to create a stronger, more connected early childhood system.
   • Partnering with state agencies to make early care and education programs easier to access by streamlining enrollment.
   • Making the most of current funding while exploring new ways to invest in better programs and broader access for families in the region.
     
     
2. To implement a cost-based approach to rate setting and contracting for child care, home visiting, and parenting education. That means:
   • Reimbursing for services at a rate in alignment with the true cost and based on enrollment or caseload rather than attendance to address barriers to providing services in rural areas and attracting a qualified workforce.
   • Exploring and implementing appropriate strategies across organizations to support compensation paid at a living wage.
   • Exploring support programs such as staffed family child care networks, shared services, and business training.
     
     
3. To strengthen and expand access to prenatal to five services. That means
   • Increasing awareness of the importance of prenatal to five services through development of a messaging and communication campaign.
   • Supporting the development and implementation of supply building strategies for all services reflective of local context.
   • Working with state partners to analyze child care licensing regulations that could be adjusted to allow for more viable business models.
     
     
4. To develop a systematic approach to workforce development; a pipeline, training, and support of qualified staff for prenatal to five programs in the Adirondack region. That means:
   • Working with higher education representatives both locally and at the state level to ensure prospective professionals have access to higher education within the field, both at two-year and four-year institutions.
   • Developing an advocacy campaign around the lack of a qualified workforce and identifying priorities for attracting and maintaining quality service providers in rural areas.
   • Working with state partners, using the cost model for Adirondack regional services, to determine a reimbursement rate that reflects true cost of early education and care services in rural areas that allows for recruitment and retention of qualified staff along with delivery of comprehensive services.
     
     
5. To ensure access to early intervention services for all eligible children. That means:
   • Increasing awareness of the importance of early intervention along with the challenges to delivering these services in rural areas, including lack of qualified staff.
   • Developing a cost model for early intervention services in the Adirondack region, to illustrate the need for a different early intervention approach to meet the needs of families.
   • Working with the New York State Department of Health to analyze legislative/regulatory policies that inhibit and support the delivery of early intervention services and formation of early intervention agencies.
     
     
6. To work to ensure all children and families have access to high-quality comprehensive services. That means:
   • Updating the programmatic application processes and eligibility requirements to ensure continuity of services for low- and moderate-income families for all prenatal to 5 programs.
   • Increasing opportunities for families to choose early childhood services that meet their unique needs and are culturally responsive.