Mount Kisco Child Care Center

Mount Kisco Child Care Center Celebrates 20 Years of Feed Me Fresh

August 16, 2024 by Aidan Lane

Finding affordable childcare and early education has long been a complex math problem: Parents must navigate limited availability, high costs, and varying standards of care. And this is only one side of the equation. Working parents often are forced to choose between maintaining financial stability and staying home. However, a possible solution to this problem was established in 1971 at Mount Kisco Child Care Center.

“Because we understand the transformative power of equitable access to quality care and early education for children and families, MKCCC works hard to build awareness regarding the needs of the childcare industry and advocates on behalf of working families to increase access for all,” says Paula Backer, Director of Development. This non-profit childcare organization cares for over 145 children, ages three months to eleven years of age, in a 20,000-square-foot community-built facility. Beyond just a care center, MKCCC helps working families thrive by providing high-quality childcare and education through innovative, appropriate programming and a holistic approach to supporting family needs.

At the core of this exceptional organization are the teachers. Backer notes, “Their care and passion for what they do is evident the moment you step into a classroom.” These qualified and experienced educators foster a distinctive mutual support and caring environment, benefiting the students and the entire team.

Yet, solving this complex equation is far from straightforward. Childcare is in crisis, with costs exceeding what most families can afford, while centers struggle to pay competitive wages. The pandemic worsened the situation, causing a significant labor shortage. New York State lost 42% of its early childcare workforce, and many centers closed or reduced classroom sizes, leading to a severe shortage–MKCCC’s waitlist has reached 500 children.

During the COVID crisis, government funding helped keep centers afloat, but this support has ended while inflation and labor market competition persist. Without renewed financial support, there is grave concern for the future of centers and the families that rely on them. This math problem remains unsolved, and without adequate resources, the equation may become increasingly difficult to balance.

Mount Kisco Child Care Center is renowned for hosting impactful, community-oriented events, including the annual gala to raise scholarship funds for the MKCCC Scholarship Fund, Feed Me Fresh: An Edible Evening. The 20th Feed Me Fresh event is the hallmark of Mount Kisco Child Care Center’s innovative seed-to-table nutrition curriculum, developed with the expertise of nutritionists, early education teachers, chefs, and farmers. This program integrates hands-on farming activities in the center’s playground gardens with cooking classes that utilize the seasonal produce grown and harvested by the children. The initiative is further supported by an in-house Feed Me Fresh food service team, which provides fresh, healthy, homemade meals and snacks through sustainable methods, supporting local agriculture whenever possible.

Inspired by this program, local restaurants and chefs joined forces 20 years ago to create a fundraising event that celebrates the principles of Feed Me Fresh: nutritious, sustainable, and delicious food. Over the years, this event has transformed into a night of culinary excellence, featuring delectable samples from beloved local restaurants. These establishments not only donate their food but also create immersive experiences at their tasting stations. Keira Treanor, President of the Board for MKCCC, further notes, “We raise a huge portion of our scholarship budget at this one event, and you can always feel the love and support from every guest. Although the gala is very large, at over 300 guests, it feels like a small family gathering, making it my favorite and most special occasion of the year!” The event has grown beyond expectations, offering all attendees a unique and memorable experience.

In addition to the culinary delights, we are thrilled to celebrate twenty years of this event and its significant impact on our organization. Treanor adds that she is particularly excited as we honor two extraordinary members of the MKCCC family, Ruth Goodman, and Peter Schwarz. Their unwavering dedication and commitment to the MKCCC mission epitomize the best of what this childcare center stands for.

Over the years, Feed Me Fresh has evolved into the largest funding source for the Mount Kisco Child Care Center Scholarship Fund, enabling us to continue our vital work in the community. As MKCCC reflects on this milestone, they remain committed to solving the complex financial equation of childcare access and affordability, ensuring every child can thrive in a nurturing environment. For more information, please visit mkccc.org

The Mount Kisco Child Care Center – A Home Away from Home ‘Nurturing the Whole Family’

November 10, 2023 by Ella Ilan

One of the most fraught moments of being a parent is entrusting the care of your precious child to someone else. A visit to the Mount Kisco Child Care Center (“the center”), which I fell in love with on my recent visit, can put any reluctant parent’s mind at ease, should they be lucky enough to make it off the long waitlist to enroll.

From the moment you walk into the center, you feel the warmth in this “home away from home.” Peeking into the infant rooms, where babies range in age from three months to 18 months, I can’t help but feel joy and giggle in response to several little ones who look and smile my way.

“It’s a beautiful thing to see the smiley babies every day,” says Executive Director Dawn Meyerski. “If I’m frustrated with work, all I need to do is spend an hour in the preschool and I remember why I do this.”

“It’s a lot of fun to work here,” says Victoria Rivera, infant supervisor, and head teacher. “I get to snuggle all the babies and it’s amazing to see the connection we make with each family and the difference we make, working as a team with the parents.”

In the toddler program, for those 18 months to three-years-old, the focus is on language acquisition, self-help skills, social skills, and, of course, potty training. Meyerski estimates that in the center’s history, they must have potty trained close to 7000 children.

The programs are designed with intention and thoughtfulness. For example, in the preschool classrooms, the three, four, and five-year-olds are purposefully combined so that their activities are geared towards where they are developmentally versus chronologically. So, if a three-year-old is ready for more advanced activities, they can pursue them, but if a four-year-old isn’t ready, they are not embarrassed since everyone in the class is doing different things.

The directors and teachers work together to support the children and families when needed. A social worker on staff helps families navigate more complex resource needs for special developmental services or subsidy reimbursements, as well as things like the death of a pet, a parent loses a job or becomes sick, really anything that the family encounters.

The belief at the center is that for the child to succeed, the whole family needs to be supported. The before and after school programs provide a true safety net for working parents, letting parents feel secure that their child has a place to go after school while they are at work, even when school lets out early for a snow day. For vacations, the center offers full day programming so parents can work. In the summer, they provide full day summer camp programming, including martial arts, swimming, field trips, and more.

Throughout the pandemic, the center stayed open, easing the burden for many working parents while their school age children completed remote learning at the center. “We had 40 kids from seven different school districts using all different learning platforms. Those after-school teachers were incredibly adaptive…

“We made it happen,” says Meyerski.

Feed Me Fresh

One of the biggest reasons people choose the center is the food services. Mostly everything is prepared on site in the kitchen and they try to use as little processed food as possible.

In addition to feeding the kids, the center encourages the children to understand where their food comes from with their signature Feed Me Fresh program, a comprehensive garden-to-table nutrition education curriculum. All the classrooms have their own raised bed gardens where they plant and harvest the same food the kitchen uses to make their lunches. The center combines gardening teaching units with cooking classes and related activities. If they are harvesting zucchini, they will come in and make zucchini boats. Later, when zucchini shows up on the lunch menu, they recognize it and are far more willing to eat it.

“One of my favorite gardens that we plant is the three sisters garden,” says Meyerski. “The school age kids plant corn, the toddlers plant squash, and the preschoolers plant green beans. They are companion crops that grow better together than they do apart. We use this to talk about the importance of working together. I love it because it’s symbolic of who we are and how we support each other.”

When the kids are on the playgrounds, they walk right past and pick snap peas off garden beds and eat them. In a display of pride and ownership, they independently check on the status of their growing vegetables.

“What I love best about it,” says Meyerski, “in a world where you can have anything you want in thirty seconds, where instant gratification is so real, you cannot make a carrot grow any faster than a carrot grows. They have to slow down and nurture it.”

Funding the Center

About half of the enrolled children pay the full tuition to attend the center. Tuition for the infant program runs nearly $2500 per month. The actual cost of care for infants and toddlers exceeds the tuition charged, but charging a higher rate would price out most families. The other half of the children are on scholarship, based on their family income. The center works with the Department of Social Services for some subsidies, but the bulk of their funding comes from donations. The center runs as a nonprofit and raises funds to support the children. It is their critical fundraising efforts that allow them to offer quality childcare to middle and low-income earning families, providing peace of mind to working parents.

Naturally, one of their biggest fundraising campaigns, the annual Feed Me Fresh gala, incorporates the center’s focus on fresh food. This year’s event took place at Ivanna Farm on September 23rd. This event started 19 years ago with incredible support from local restaurants who donate an evening of delicious, fresh, and inventive food. “Despite the rain this year, everyone showed up!” reported Paula Backer, the center’s Director of Development. All the restaurants, our sponsors and all our amazing supporters, came out despite the weather. We really felt the love of the community coming together around us in support of our families and what we do. It was beautiful and the food from our restaurant supporters was the best ever!”

Meaningful Lessons to Remember

Despite their newest challenge of finding enough qualified teachers in the current labor shortage post pandemic, the center provides amazing programming.

A good teacher knows that kids learn best when they learn about things that are meaningful to them, so the staff at the center strives to create memorable lessons. If the kids are eating pizza for lunch, they will follow up with a walk down to the local pizza parlor for a social studies lesson about their community. Upon their return to the center, they will set up a pizza parlor and sell slices for a dollar apiece and learn about fractions as they cut the pie. As they make the menu, they learn their letters, and when they make the pizza and learn how to make cheese melt, they learn about science. Something as simple as pizza can prompt multiple learning opportunities.

This year, the center is collaborating with the STEM Alliance to bring in STEM programming for the preschool classes. The center is very grateful for a grant received due to the support of New York State Assemblyman Chris Burdick for in-house STEM training for the center’s teachers for next year.

Meyerski hopes to bring back their cherished intergenerational programming, in which senior citizens from My Second Home, a senior living provider, used to rent space at the center and interact several times a day with the children in organized activities. The program has not resumed after it was paused for safety reasons during the pandemic.

Extended Family

“MKCCC is a special place and I consider the adults who work there extended family,” says parent Stacey Cafaldo. “My daughter lost her confidence at another center and from the moment she started at MKCCC they made her feel strong and assertive. They reignited her love for learning and brought out the absolute best in her. Their unconditional assurance and support helps each kid develop into the best version of themselves possible.”

“It’s like a family here,” says toddler supervisor and head teacher Vanessa Kardos, who has worked at the center 21 years. “My first group of children are walking across the stage graduating college right now – seeing them become these amazing, mature and wonderful adults coming back as volunteers sometimes makes me so proud that I laid that foundation for them. Between the family feeling here and having so much fun with 2-year-olds all day and the love we get from them when we walk into a classroom, it makes you forget anything negative in the world. You’re giving so much love and getting so much love all day long.” For more information about the center, please visit mkccc.org.

19th Annual ‘Feed Me Fresh: An Edible Evening’ to Take Place on September 23 at Ivanna Farms

August 15, 2023 by Inside Press

19TH ANNUAL ‘FEED ME FRESH: AN EDIBLE EVENING’ CELEBRATES LOCAL CUISINE AND COMMUNITY IN SUPPORT OF MOUNT KISCO CHILD CARE CENTER’S MISSION

A Culinary Fundraiser at Ivanna Farms Promises an Unforgettable Evening, Honoring Notable Community Members and Benefiting MKCCC’s Scholarship Program

August 15, 2023 (Mount Kisco, NY) – Mount Kisco Child Care Center (MKCCC), a non-profit committed to providing equitable access to high-quality child care and early education to a diverse group of children, is thrilled to announce the 19th Annual “Feed Me Fresh: An Edible Evening” fundraiser, taking place on Saturday, September 23rd, 2023, at 5:30 PM at the picturesque Ivanna Farms in Mount Kisco.

MKCCC, serving working families in Westchester since 1971, currently nurtures 145 children from 3 months to 11 years old in full-day care, before-school, after-school, and summer camp programs. At the heart of MKCCC’s award-winning curriculum lies the Feed Me Fresh program, a garden-to-table nutrition initiative that includes gardens outside of each classroom.

Inspired by MKCCC’s innovative curriculum of the same name, “Feed Me Fresh: An Edible Evening” is an event where top local restaurants come together to donate an evening of culinary excellence highlighting the importance of fresh, nutritious and delicious food for children and in support of families in need within the community. Their involvement has helped the event become a truly unique tasting experience as well as a critical fundraiser.

All proceeds from the evening will directly support the MKCCC’s scholarship fund, underlining our dedication to making high-quality child care accessible for all families in our community.

From last year’s Feed Me Fresh event on behalf of the Mount Kisco Child Care Center. Featured here (upper right) Isi Albanese, Chef and Owner of Exit 4, and (lower center): Maarten Steenman, Chef and Owner of La Tulipe.

This year, MKCCC is privileged to honor its 2023 recipients, who have shown consistent, invaluable support:

Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation, our Foundation Partner
Pamela Stone of The Benefit Shop Foundation, a Longtime Supporter
Mimi Tesfaye of Mimi’s Coffee House, a Feed Me Fresh Supporter and Longtime Restaurant Participant

In addition, there will be a special remembrance of a great friend, Twink Wood, who contributed so much to MKCCC for more than 30 years.

The MKCCC invites you to join this celebration of local flavors, sustainability, and community. This promises to be an evening to remember – a testament to community spirit, philanthropy, and the transformative power of fresh food and education.

Tickets are now available for purchase at mkccc.org. Come enjoy a beautiful autumn evening, celebrating and supporting the mission and community of Mount Kisco.

About Mount Kisco Child Care Center:

Mount Kisco Child Care Center is a non-profit, accredited child care facility committed to providing equitable access to high-quality, affordable care to children in a safe, healthy environment through innovative and developmentally appropriate programming. Established in 1971, MKCCC serves working families, providing the highest quality early care and education, including our Feed Me Fresh garden-to-table nutritional program.

Feed Me Fresh to Support MKCCC’s Need-Based Scholarships

August 24, 2021 by The Inside Press

Becki Fleischer with the Shaves at a previous Feed Me Fresh: An Edible Evening event.

Mount Kisco Child Care Center (MKCCC) 17th Annual Feed Me Fresh: An Edible Evening event on Saturday, September 25 will benefit MKCCC’s need-based scholarship program. In its 50th year, MKCCC’s Scholarship Initiative, which is a combination of government subsidy, private, family and corporate foundation support, corporate and individual donations, and proceeds from special events, enables MKCCC to fulfill its mission of providing children with access to affordable, safe, high-quality early care and education.

Over the last five decades, MKCCC’s exceptional program has served close to 7,000 area children.The Center is committed to its successful service model–balancing families who can pay the full fee for care with families who require need-based scholarship support to attend. MKCCC is proud of its diversity, which benefits the children, families, and the community, and is committed to creating an environment that fosters the practice of understanding, cooperation, tolerance, and respect.

Feed Me Fresh: An Edible Evening showcases delicious food from local restaurants that subscribe to the same culinary philosophy as MKCCC–serving locally grown and sourced food and supporting local agriculture. Through its Feed Me Fresh seed-to-table nutrition program, MKCCC has created a hands-on curriculum that builds a natural appreciation for fresh, whole food. Tickets are available for $275 per person ($250 each before September 1st). For information about tickets, donations, and sponsorship opportunities, please visit https://mkccc.org/events/17th-annual-feed-me-fresh-an-edible-evening/ or contact Helen Bock, 914.241.2135 or bock@mkccc.org.

Navigating a Pandemic & Advocating for Families at the Mount Kisco Child Care Center

April 2, 2021 by Ruth Goodman, LMSW

Ruth Goodman with son, Adam, and niece, Sarah, who are both long-time MKCCC volunteers.

Established as a non-profit in 1971, Mount Kisco Child Care Center has served more than 6,500 children over the past 50 years. The Center serves nearly 200 children each year and is committed to its successful model of service–balancing families who can pay the full fee for care, with families who require need-based scholarship support to attend. Each year MKCCC raises more than $600,000 for its scholarship program. Approximately half of our families receive some level of scholarship support. MKCCC provides year-round child care and early education programs for children beginning at three months until elementary school. The Center offers before- and after-school care to children in Kindergarten through 5th grade and a full-time, eight-week summer enrichment camp for elementary students through 5th grade.

The pandemic has posed many predictable hardships for our neediest families. We are lucky to live in a community with a tremendously generous spirit. From the very beginning of this long and unprecedented time of need, we have been able to utilize community resources and services to assure that our families have food, clothing, diapers, and all basic necessities. We are very thankful to have such devoted community partners.

As the pandemic wears on, a less easily solved problem has arisen. It is safe to say that remote learning has posed a challenge for all families. Supervising and assisting our children with remote learning has been a bemoaned task and burden; much validated by countless comedians and commercials.

There is nothing funny about it, however, if you are a parent who must go to work, in person, every day, in order to provide for your family. These mothers and fathers cannot work from home and provide that imperfect, yet safe model of learning known as remote, or hybrid.

From the very first day that schools initiated remote learning, Mount Kisco Child Care Center transformed our K-5th grade afterschool program into a full day remote learning program. Serving 30 students from seven different school districts, we set out to provide an option for those parents who had no choice regarding their return to work.

Advocating for Our Students

What we found is that some students had very little trouble adapting to online learning and were able to thrive academically. Others, however, have struggled. We knew that just as we became an online learning setting for families in need, we had to also become advocates for our students, just as a parent or in-home caregiver would. Our teachers and I began collaborating frequently with teachers at children’s schools. In sharing our observations about what a student was challenged by, we were able to formulate strategies to meet goals varying from increased engagement and focus regarding the online learning itself, to increased comprehension of the material, and greater success with assignments.

This intervention served to bridge the gap between “home” and school in many instances. We were thrilled to see happier kids, and parents who were less anxious about their need to work during this unprecedented time. There were, however, some students who needed more support than was possible through our collaborations with the school districts.

One such student is Janet. Janet is a friendly, bright and extroverted 10-year-old. She has been a part of our afterschool program for many years. Historically, Janet was an excellent student with no identified barriers to learning. Soon after the implementation of remote learning, her academic performance declined. Accustomed to academic success, this shift quickly affected her confidence, and thus her engagement with her online classes. A negative pattern became evident to our teachers. Accustomed to positive feedback from her teachers for both attitude and achievement, she felt embarrassed when she was unsure or wrong in class and ceased to participate only serving to cause her to fall further behind. Our MKCCC teachers came to me with their concerns. In meeting with Janet’s teachers, I learned that they too were alarmed by the changes that they were seeing in Janet.

Janet’s parents were distressed about this development. They felt helpless. Sadly, in many ways they were. Janet’s mother is a store cashier and her father is a handyman. English is their second language. They couldn’t give her the academic assistance that she needed, nor were they able to afford a tutor.

Once again looking to resources in our community made a solution possible. I reached out to a local college student who was living at home during the pandemic, as her classes were online and her campus was closed. As an Education major, Emma jumped at the opportunity to become involved. With input from our teachers, and Janet herself, Emma familiarized herself with Janet’s areas of challenge and confusion. Janet was immediately excited about the prospect of having her own tutor. When she learned it was a college student, she was even more enthusiastic, revealing her hope to go to college one day. Emma has shared with me how disconnected and isolated she has felt since her own remote learning began. Having a connection with Janet and seeing the positive impact of her assistance has given her an unexpected but very welcome sense of purpose during this turbulent time.

COVID-19 has changed our world significantly. What hasn’t changed is our mission of providing high-quality child care and early education for all of our families. We pride ourselves on our commitment to maintaining a diverse student community , both socio-economically and culturally. The children enrolled at MKCCC continue to learn, grow, and thrive, through our innovative and award-winning curriculum, including the intergenerational Joining Elders With Early Learners (JEWEL) program and Feed Me Fresh (FMF) nutrition education program. Mount Kisco Child Care Center looks forward to our next 50 years, pledging to continue our service to our community with optimism and dedication to excellence in child care.

Mount Kisco Child Care Center

Mount Kisco Child Care Center Celebrates 20 Years of Feed Me Fresh