From the Executive Director
Introducing Child Care Council Staff
The Child Care Council of Dutchess and Putnam, Inc. offers a variety of services to child care providers, parents, businesses, and the community. For many years, we have been in the business of offering parents referrals to child care programs, registering family day care and school-age child care programs, and coordinating the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) for home-based child care providers.
You may have connected with Karen Walsh, Assistant Director, when updating referral information, or Becky Shaffer with information about Registration, or Lorraine Scuccimarra with CACFP. Child care providers may also speak with Kim Ciardullo for Registration and Legally Exempt questions. They are all experts at what they do.
Now we welcome Mara Goulette to the Registration team and Crystal Cooper as a new Referral Counselor and Legally Exempt Specialist. Additional valued members of the Registration Department include Carol Hand who has been with us for 16 years and Brianna Vigliotti who spends much of her time in the Putnam office. Debbie Taffe joined the finance department a little over a year ago and is here in the morning.
Wendy Cooper, formerly a Registrar, has jumped into the position of full-time Director of Professional Development. Wendy has great ideas for expanding training opportunities, including bringing training to your site. If you have a need for a particular training, Wendy is the person to contact.
Sarah Rokitowski has been with the Council for approximately four months to fill the new position of Marketing and Outreach Specialist. You’ll see some of Sarah’s accomplishments as the Council resumes distributing a newsletter to providers in Dutchess and Putnam Counties.
Kathleen Murphy, Director of Business Services, supports providers with developing budgets, applying for grants, and navigating websites. Kathleen is also an integral part of the Council’s advocacy efforts to further legislation in support of early care and education.
Megan Weber is a Registered Nurse and the Health Care Consultant for Dutchess and Putnam Counties. Megan helps develop Health Care Plans and is a great resource for any medical questions or issues in your program.
Tiffinie Helweg is our Infant/Toddler Specialist and Cyndie Hackett is our Infant/Toddler Mental Health Consultant. They assess program environments and help deal with children’s behavioral challenges. Please contact them if you need assistance with your Infant/Toddler program.
Nicole O’Leary and Dawn Haecker manage the Child Care Subsidy Program in Putnam County. They are located at the Putnam County Department of Social Services.
You have all probably talked with Nancy Owen, Clerk for the Child Care Council. Nancy answers the phone, orders supplies, greets people coming to the office, fixes the copier, fills the postage machine, and much more. Nancy is the one who keeps the Council running!
