Issue 85: Addressing the childcare crisis

Sarah Coté-Bennett of Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood tells us what's really happening in childcare today and what we can do about it

Genevieve Gearity, Maddie Meehan, Ashley Matthews, and Sarah Cote-Bennett

Jul 16, 2026

Our dear friend Sarah Coté-Bennett is a woman of many abilities: a social worker, an effortless fashionista, an exceptional mother, and a ride-or-die advocate for childcare access in Columbia County, NY. She inspires us daily with her unwavering passion and emotional intelligence. She joins us today to give us all a real look behind the curtain of the childcare crisis, with concrete, actionable ideas on how we can all help. Thanks for being here, Sarah!

The team at Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood (all *photos provided by author*)

Five years ago, just after my son turned three, his daycare center was on the brink of closure. This daycare was an anchor in our family life from his infancy, and all through the pandemic. Technically, our family didn’t need daycare; I had stepped away from my job several months prior. But I knew over 50 families - educators, healthcare workers, first responders - in our rural county would be thrown into a crisis. Let’s be real: childcare in the Hudson Valley is expensive, and it is limited. This daycare was and still is a pillar of our community. It is the largest and longest operating daycare in Columbia County, one of the very few that accepts infants, and also one of the few that accepts the Child Care Assistance Program, which helps low- and middle-income families afford the high cost of enrollment.

Early childhood educators are paid, on average, less than dog-walkers.

The moment we realized our daycare might close, I joined their nonprofit board of directors, along with a handful of other parents who felt compelled to keep it going. And because I had the time and the irrational compulsion, I volunteered for two years, full-time and on-site to better understand the world of licensed childcare in New York State (I am the child of an emergency room doc - we tend to run at a crisis). I worked on everything from bylaws to budgets to bathroom floor scrubbing. I studied all 73 pages of regulations. I attended dozens of trainings. What I learned blew my mind and can be summed up in a few simple statements that I’ve read, heard, or put together over time:

Daycare is economic infrastructure built and carried on the backs of women.
Slots don’t make daycare; educators and caregivers make daycare.
Over 90% of a child’s brain development happens before they enter kindergarten.
All learning, most especially in the first five years, is relationship-based. Early childhood educators and caregivers are literally co-constructing your child’s brain.
Early childhood educators are paid, on average, less than dog-walkers.
Despite the low teacher pay, the cost of licensed daycare in our area hovers around $19K-$20K annually per child, more than the cost of some colleges.
As a highly regulated, under-funded industry, daycare was built to break.
Columbia County, NY has lost nearly 75% of our daycares since 2007. That’s double the rate of NYS, and triple the rate of the nation.
Also in Columbia County, there is one daycare slot for every eight children who need it, categorizing us as a high child care desert in NYS.

Daycare is economic infrastructure built and carried on the backs of women.

Four years into my daycare journey, I was approached by Joan Hunt, Executive Director of Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood (GHPN) to do something about it on a countywide scale. We were joined by Lucy Segar who has an outstanding resume as an educator and mentor in Hudson and beyond. This March we started Childcare Works, a program within GHPN that aims to do something meaningful about our local childcare crisis. We meet with providers, parents, legislators, advocates, and funders (sometimes with our children along!). We convene these voices at regular meetings. And this fall we are launching a very local version of Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway (TAP), a highly successful teacher training model started by a wonderful preschool in Poughkeepsie.

If you feel inspired to help or join the cause, here are some ideas!

Donate to Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood.
Donate to Columbia Children’s Center, which is serving as the first internship site for TAP in our county.
Share information with us about your experience accessing care in Columbia County.
Spread the word - refer people to TAP (as an apprentice, or as an internship site/mentor by emailing me at the below address).
Join our Early Learning and Literacy Network (ELLN), as a parent of young children, or as a professional in this field (Sarah@GreaterHudsonPromise.org).
Sign up with the Empire State Campaign for Child Care, a statewide coalition of parents, educators, and advocates who have effectively achieved positive change for child care in our state.
If you have children enrolled in a daycare program, consider giving them a donation, volunteering your time or skills, or joining their board or a committee.

Sarah Coté-Bennett grew up in Michigan and lived in Chicago for 13 years, where she got her Masters in Social Work from UIC and completed a fellowship with LEND. She moved to upstate NY with her husband in 2013, initially working with children and families in their homes, particularly focusing on crisis response, mental health, and parenting support throughout Columbia County. She stepped away from paid work in 2021 when her son was a toddler, which opened up time for her to dive deep into the childcare crisis. She is passionate about public service, and has the utmost regard for people who choose the important, complex, and tireless work of caregiving.

One For Us

We’re sharing what we’re enjoying for ourselves these days.

No. 47, The Queen's Guard is a perfect afternoon tea blend inspired by our memorable time in London. — This tea is named “The Queen’s Guard” (*credit: bellocq*)

[Sarah] - My list of nourishing and/or indulgent pleasures is almost always the same: sleep, slow mornings with good tea, good podcasts, and - I’m not kidding - late night snacking on low brow potato chips and cheese (my culinary palette contains multitudes).

[Ashley] - I’m still here talking about dance and how much I love it. Hudson Hall is hosting a Midsummer Swing! - dance and live music in their performance hall with a beginner level Lindy Hop lesson and performance by Got2Lindy Hoppers. Put on your best 30s and 40s looks and transport yourself for an evening.

[Genevieve] - The beauty and irony of birthing a child and realizing you are a goddess among mere mortal men, your body is both a mystical temple and a portal between dimensions, and thus all women’s bodies should collectively be named the 8th Wonder of the World is that… I now wear crop tops. 🙃 Like this mock neck stunner. Or this oversized boxy lady. Or this cozy alpaca sweater from Everlane that I’m not allowed to buy anymore because morals.

[Maddie] - The horse I’m backing in the soft pant race this season is the Ease trouser from Deiji Studios. So much of the category looks like scrubs or pajamas, but I’m convinced the brown checkered pair I found on Poshmark doesn’t have this particular problem. I spend enough of my week wearing actual scrubs, I’d like my summer pants to mix it up a bit.

One For Them

We’re sharing what’s making parenting small children more enjoyable these days.

Pretend food that’s better than anything G can throw together (*photo: Little Pickles)*

[Sarah] - My son is in his Harry Potter era and the potion play is virtually limitless. But it can get stinky if you let them raid the spice drawer like I did. Learn from my mistakes. Stick to base liquids like hair gel or water with some drops of essential oil already added. Small rocks, glass gems, and beads make the best visual interest without turning moldy. Only offer containers with caps. My son practiced writing words in a “potion recipe book”, and he set up a potion shop and sold “penny potions”.

[Ashley] - The garden has really exploded over the past week. We plant ground cherries (husk tomatoes, husk cherries, they are known by many names) every year and my daughter is so delighted when they finally drop off of the plant and she gets to unwrap it and pop it in her mouth. We had our first few this past week and it was pure excitement and celebration.

[Genevieve] - Kids Bowl Free has a list of bowling alleys in every state that offer a “Kids Bowl Free Special Offer” registration. There are several around Albany, but I’m also seeing Poughkeepsie, Wappingers Falls and even Pittsfield, MA. I’m looking forward to trying it out on a rainy (or, sadly, smoky) afternoon this summer.

[Maddie] - I’m so delighted by the play food that’s out there right now. This set from Plan Toys is adorably (intentionally) misshapen, while the farmers’ market haul from Saugerties-based The Quiet Cook might just win over any chard-haters in the house. And since I’ve shared our family’s love for this book, I’d expect these dumplings to be a hit too.

In the Neighborhood

We live in the Mid-Hudson Valley and we’re keeping tabs on these (mostly family-friendly) events near us. If there’s another event you’d like us to share, please send it our way!

Summer Events

Starting July 16 - Hudson Community Choir drop-in singing, Hudson

Friday, July 17 - Birthday Celebration at Cone Zero, Catskill

Friday, July 17 - Art & Storytime at Thomas Cole, Catskill

Friday, July 17 - Sunday, July 19 - Catskill Mountain Railroads Dinosaur Express, Kingston

Friday, July 17 - Sunday, July 19 - The Dead of Summer: A Murder Mystery Weekend at The Six Bells, Rosendale ^

Saturday, July 18 - Summerfest, Chatham

Saturday, July 18 - Artfully popup workshop at At Play, Rhinebeck

Saturday, July 18 - Water Wars at FASNY, Hudson

Saturday, July 18 - Family Day at Hessel Museum of Art, Annandale-on-Hudson

Saturday, July 18 - Intro to Cyanotype at The Spark of Hudson, Hudson ^

Saturday, July 18 - Therapy Pigs Fundraiser @ Cooper’s Daughter, Claverack