Public Policy Agenda

The Child Care Council of Dutchess and Putnam, Inc. have developed a public policy plan with 3 main goals:

  • Children & families at all income levels can access regulated child care to meet their needs.
  • Educate the community on the importance of quality child care
  • Promote an initiative for standarized federal background checks for all child care providers


Follow these links to find out more about child care public policy & advocacy:

  • Child Care Aware of America promotes national policies and partnerships to advance the development and learning for all children.

  • A report by National Center for Children in Poverty
    This report shows that data collected by state and local agencies on young children and the programs serving them have enormous potential value. Families, service providers, policymakers, researchers, advocates and others can use these data to better understand
    children’s needs, improve access to services, strengthen services, enhance the efficiency of services, and understand the short- and long-term impacts of services.

  • A report from NACCRRA

    More than 11 million children younger than age 5 spend an average of 35 hours a week in some type of child care setting. State child care licensing requirements govern the health, safety and learning opportunities for these children. State oversight requirements monitor compliance with state policies.


    We Can Do Better: 2011 Update is the third in a series of reports beginning in 2007 that scores and ranks the states, including the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense (DoD) on 10 program requirements and five oversight benchmarks for child care centers. NACCRRA’s update found that states have made progress but more progress is needed.
    The average score in 2011 was 87 out of a possible 150 points (compared to 70 in 2007 and 83 in 2009). Using a standard grading scale, no state earned an A. The Department of Defense earned a B, and four states earned a C. Twenty-one states earned a D. Half of the states (26 states) earned a failing grade. While we should be pleased with the improvement among the states since 2007, an 87 equates to a score of 58 percent, a failing grade in any classroom in America.