PATTERSON, NY – This week, the Putnam County Early Learning Center (ELC) began offering services from its Hudson Valley InterArts Building location in Patterson. The seven-room facility, operated by nonprofit Community Based Services in collaboration with the Putnam County Health Department (DOH) and Brewster and Carmel Schools, offers educational and daycare programming for students and their families and is part of the county’s ThinkDIFFERENTLY initiative to encourage public awareness and expanded access to services for children with special needs. The ELC currently serves 19 students with five additional schoolchildren scheduled to join in the coming weeks. The county legislature approved the ELC’s creation in June.

“Our Early Learning Center is a groundbreaking and collaborative initiative to offer high-quality early learning services in a classroom setting to Putnam County families,” said County Executive Kevin Byrne. “In the past, some parents were forced to send their children on lengthy bus rides outside the county to access essential programs, exhausting children, stressing worried parents, and charging local taxpayers up to $1 million each year in heightened transportation costs. People said we couldn’t get this done, and I’m proud to say they were wrong. Together, we found a way to effectively reform the mandatory preschool special education model and empowered parents with special-needs children for a better, less-expensive service. I am proud to acknowledge county employees Valerie Kurtz, Shanna Seigel, and our new Director of Public Health Rian Rodriquez for their hard work in championing the reimagining of educational and early learning services in our community.”

“Thank you to County Executive Byrne for shepherding the Early Learning Center through the approval process with New York State and for his steadfast commitment to our preschool-aged and special-needs students,” said Valerie Kurtz, DOH Supervisor of Early Intervention and Preschool. “Simply put, this program will change lives.”

County Executive Byrne also expressed his gratitude to the Town of Patterson for their vital assistance in making this project a reality.

Patterson Town Supervisor Rich Williams added, “The Town of Patterson was proud to play a role in advancing this project through our local planning process and helping to ensure it crossed the finish line. Hosting the Early Learning Center here in Patterson is a point of pride for our community, and we are grateful to see it come to fruition. This is a meaningful investment in our children, our families, and the future of Putnam County.”

The County Executive’s office also wants to extend special thanks to Senator Peter Harckham, Assemblyman Matt Slater and Congressman Mike Lawler, who have expressed a deep interest in the success of this new program. Senator Harckham and his office were particularly helpful in assisting the county navigate the complexities of Albany’s red tape to ensure a timely license was received by New York State’s Office of Children and Family Services.