Senator Michelle Hinchey Secures $50,000 Grant to Help Build Village of Nelliston’s First-Ever Child Care Center

KINGSTON, NY – Senator Michelle Hinchey today announced a $50,000 grant awarded by her office to create the Village of Nelliston’s first-ever licensed daycare facility, which will be used to renovate a nearly two-century-old historic school building into a modern center that provides daycare services as well as before and after-school child care. The funds, secured by Hinchey through the State and Municipal Facilities Capital (SAM) grant program, will help the village undertake the construction necessary to make the building ready for use, including structural repairs, bringing the building up to code, and implementing green energy technologies for heating and cooling. 

To ensure equitable access to child care services for local parents, the Village plans to rent the space at a reduced rate, allowing the child care provider to retain a budget to create a scholarship program for lower-income families that reside in the Village of Nelliston.

“Affordable, accessible child care is a fundamental building block of a strong community, and I am incredibly proud to deliver funding to help bring a first-of-its-kind child care facility into the Village of Nelliston that will better the lives of working families, nurture our kids, and build an economy that works for everyone,” Senator Michelle Hinchey said. “In Montgomery County and across New York State, families are living in child care deserts, and it is an honor to partner with the Village of Nelliston to set our children up for success and give parents the child care support they deserve.”

Village of Nelliston Clerk-Treasurer EJ Watt said, "The Village of Nelliston is excited to revitalize an underutilized historic landmark for community development through access to childcare. We thank the Senator for her support and instrumental role in giving us the momentum to start this incredibly vital project."

Mari Kate Mycek, Senior Project Manager, Mohawk Valley Economic Development District, said, “We are so grateful to Senator Hinchey for securing the funding to build this important child care facility in Nelliston. Access to affordable and reliable childcare has a direct impact on a community’s economic well-being — not only do childcare centers provide jobs, but since child care ensures that working parents can go to work, it also supports every other industry."

A Montgomery County Business Development Center study conducted in 2020 revealed the need for increased child care services to support area families. The study found that 41% of Montgomery County households were occupied by single parents, and almost half of all individuals surveyed stated it was difficult to find childcare arrangements in Montgomery County. Hinchey amplified the need for increased statewide investment in childcare through the 2022 State Budget, championing a historic $7 billion to set New York on a path toward universal child care. Actions taken through that budget investment included increasing the income threshold for childcare assistance to $80,000 for a family of four so that more working families can qualify for support, expanding employer childcare tax credits to incentivize employers to provide childcare for employees, and boosting support for childcare providers through business expansion grants, salary increases, and benefits.

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