Early Care & Learning Council

Thank you to everyone who joined ECLC for our 2026 Annual Meeting on June 10th to celebrate the dedication and impact of the CCRC network across New York State. A special thank you to our sponsors Digital XPress, Gardner Media, and Kaplan for their generous support.

We were proud to recognize retirees Bruce Stewart and Dee Burlingame for their combined 58 years of service at St. Lawrence Child Care Council, and Richelle Singer of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County for her service on the ECLC Board of Directors.

Congratulations again to our award winners: Sarah G. Merrick, Commissioner of Economic Security for the Onondaga County Department of Social Services, recipient of the Excellence in Government Award, and Julie Champion, Executive Director of Child & Family Resources Inc., recipient of the Child Care Resource Leadership Award.

Thank you for making this year's Annual Meeting a success! We look forward to another great year of collaboration and innovation to continue strengthening child care across New York State.

We are still sorting through all of the incredible photos from the Annual Meeting yesterday, and we cannot wait to share more highlights from the day!

In the meantime, ECLC would like to congratulate the recipients of two distinguished awards recognizing exceptional leadership and service:

Julie Champion, Executive Director of Child & Family Resources, Inc., was awarded the Child Care Resource Center Leadership Award for her outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to strengthening child care, families, and providers across the state.

The Excellence in Government Award was presented to Sarah G. Merrick, Commissioner of Economic Security for the Onondaga County Department of Social Services, for her service and commitment to advancing policies and programs that improve outcomes for young children, and strengthening the systems that help support children and their caregivers.

Congratulations!

ECLC's Infant & Toddler Coordinator, Rachel Roberts, presented a special recognition to Sara Allen Taylor, Child Care Services Project Director at the Child Care Coordinating Council of the North Country.

Sara, who works as both a Project Director and an Infant Toddler Specialist, was awarded the 2026 Emily Fenichel Award on behalf of New York Zero-to-Three (NYZTT) in recognition of her hard work and dedication to the field of infant and toddler services. Congratulations!

ECLCs' Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health and Infant Toddler Spring Retreat brought together dedicated professionals committed to supporting the well-being of young children and families.

From May 12–13, attendees engaged in meaningful conversations, reflective learning, collaboration, and connection.

Thank you to everyone who joined and helped make this retreat a space for growth, support, and shared purpose.

Register now to join us at the 2026 Annual Meeting & Luncheon on June 10, 2026, at the Marriott in Albany, New York.

We welcome keynote speaker Walter S. Gilliam, Ph.D., executive director of the Buffett Early Childhood Institute, for an inspiring conversation on early childhood education, leadership, and policy.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Networking & Vendors

12:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Program & Luncheon

We look forward to connecting with partners, advocates, and leaders dedicated to advancing early care and learning.

Register here: https://conta.cc/48XyVqK

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Consultants help support strengthening relationships and help adults respond to children’s behaviors with understanding. IECMH promotes healthy social and emotional development.

Learn more about IECMH: https://earlycareandlearning.org/our-programs/infant-and-toddler-network/

Looking for your next opportunity? Early Care & Learning Council is currently hiring! We are excited to welcome passionate and motivated individuals to apply to our team.

Learn more and apply today at: https://conta.cc/3Pmo6rp

ECLC staff attended and presented at the New York Association for the Education of Young Children (NYAEYC) annual conference.

The topics highlighted throughout the conference emphasized the dedication and passion of the Early Childhood Education workforce in advancing this essential field.

Today we recognize and thank our Early Childhood Education providers for their dedication, patience, and commitment to helping children learn and grow every day.

Reach out to your local Child Care Resource Center through the link to find support and available resources: https://earlycareandlearning.org/our-members/

Ken Kessel will be hosting our monthly Learning Café on May 14. Join Ken virtually for this informational session offering valuable insight into language that resonates with both educators and families.

Register here at no cost: https://conta.cc/4tc9HvN