Early Childhood Alliance

10/19/2026

St. Joseph's Health - Syracuse, NY is helping community members prepare for the colder months and connect with valuable resources! 🧥

Join them for a Community Outreach Pop-Up Event on Thursday, October 22, offering winter coats, behavioral health and social services, health insurance enrollment assistance, care coordination, and more.

💙 All are welcome! See the flyer for event details and please help spread the word by sharing this opportunity with families and community partners.

10/15/2026

📣 Child Care Providers & Early Educators: Your Voice Matters!

New York State is exploring its path toward universal child care, and your perspectives are an important part of the conversation!

Join the New York State Office of Children and Family Services Division of Child Care Services for a virtual Town Hall to discuss insights, challenges, and ideas that can help inform the future of child care in New York.

📅 Tuesday, October 27
🕙 10:00–11:00 a.m.
💻 Virtual | Spanish translation available

We encourage child care providers and early educators across Onondaga County to participate and share their experiences.

🔗 Register here: https://nystec-meeting.webex.com/webappng/sites/nystec-meeting/webinar/webinarSeries/register/1a14fc8c4e974293a616eef1472d71f3



_______________________________________________________________________

📣 Proveedores de cuidado infantil y educadores de la primera infancia: ¡Su voz importa!

El estado de Nueva York está explorando el camino hacia el cuidado infantil universal, ¡y sus perspectivas son una parte importante de esta conversación!

Acompañen a la División de Servicios de Cuidado Infantil de la Oficina de Servicios para Niños y Familias del Estado de Nueva York en una reunión virtual para compartir perspectivas, desafíos e ideas que pueden ayudar a orientar el futuro del cuidado infantil en Nueva York.

📅 Martes, 27 de octubre
🕙 10:00 a 11:00 a.m.
💻 Virtual | Habrá traducción al español

Animamos a los proveedores de cuidado infantil y educadores de la primera infancia de todo el condado de Onondaga a participar y compartir sus experiencias.

🔗 Regístrate aquí: https://nystec-meeting.webex.com/webappng/sites/nystec-meeting/webinar/webinarSeries/register/1a14fc8c4e974293a616eef1472d71f3

10/05/2026

There’s still time to make your voice heard on proposed federal changes to Head Start! Public comments are due tomorrow, October 6.

The federal government is asking for public input on proposed changes to Head Start, and your experience can help inform what happens next.

Public comments give parents, staff, alumni, and community members an opportunity to explain what works in Head Start, what matters most to children and families, and what decision-makers should consider before a final rule is issued.

NHSA’s How to Comment Guide makes it easier to participate, with simple steps for submitting a comment and tips for sharing your experience effectively.

Read the guide and submit your comment: https://buff.ly/dZz4Zko

09/29/2026

We’re excited to celebrate our own April Garcia, who will be featured in Episode 2 of the Brazelton Touchpoints Center’s fifth season of the Parents Rising to Child Developmental Challenges series! 💙

As a parent, a neurodivergent individual, and a Family Resource Specialist with Help Me Grow Onondaga, April brings a unique perspective to supporting children and families. Her personal and professional experiences allow her to consider a child’s developmental journey through three different lenses: the child, the parent, and the provider.

During this free virtual conversation, April will share how these perspectives inform and enrich the way she connects with and supports the families she serves.

📅 Monday, October 26
🕒 3:00–4:00 p.m. ET
🌎 Live Spanish translation and captioning available

Learn more and register: tinyurl.com/Dev-Challenges-2026

09/21/2026

On Saturday, we joined the Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County, families, and community partners to celebrate an incredible milestone: 2 million Dolly Parton's Imagination Library books gifted to children across Onondaga County.

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate the joy of reading and the impact of putting books into the hands of young children. We loved celebrating this milestone with you! 🎉

09/18/2026

2 million books, 2 million reasons to celebrate! 📚🎉

This Saturday, our friends at the Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County are bringing families and community partners together to celebrate an incredible milestone: 2 million Dolly Parton's Imagination Library books gifted to children across Onondaga County.

The Imagination Celebration will be a day of stories, activities, and family fun, all in celebration of the joy of reading and the power of putting books into the hands of young children.

The ECA Onondaga is proud to be the presenting sponsor of this special celebration, and we’re excited to celebrate alongside families and partners from across our community. 💛

📚 Join the Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County for our Imagination Celebration!

Help us celebrate an incredible milestone—2 million books gifted to children in our community through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library!

📅 Saturday, September 19
⏰ 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
📍 Le Moyne College, James Commons Campus Center

Bring the entire family for a free day celebrating books, imagination, and the joy of reading. We hope to see you there!

09/14/2026

📣 Help shape the future of child care in New York State!

Families, child care providers, and community stakeholders are invited to a Town Hall focused on New York’s pathway to universal child care.

📅 Thursday, October 1
⏰ 6:00 p.m.
📍 Child Care Solutions, 11101 Erie Blvd. East, Suite 100, Syracuse

Scan the QR code on the flyer to register.

_______________________________________________________________________

📣 ¡Ayude a dar forma al futuro del cuidado infantil en el estado de Nueva York!

Invitamos a las familias, los proveedores de cuidado infantil y otros miembros de la comunidad a una reunión pública centrada en el camino de Nueva York hacia el cuidado infantil universal.

📅 Jueves 1 de octubre
⏰ 6:00 p. m.
📍 Child Care Solutions, 11101 Erie Blvd. East, Suite 100, Syracuse

¡Escanee el código QR del folleto para registrarse!

08/28/2026

What can we learn when we bring together family voice, community data, and the experiences of those working alongside young children and families?

That question was at the heart of Summer Merrick’s project for the Stanford Center on Early Childhood’s Zaentz Community Fellowship, The State of Early Childhood in Onondaga County, which she presented today.

Summer, Director of Help Me Grow Onondaga, an initiative of the ECA Onondaga, drew from local RAPID Survey Project data, local and community data, system mapping, and the experiences of community partners to take a closer look at our early childhood landscape.

At the heart of the project is something that guides our work every day: data can help us understand what is happening, but family voice and community context help us understand what it means.

Congratulations to Summer on completing the Zaentz Community Fellowship and helping us continue to ask important questions about how we can build a stronger, more responsive early childhood system in Onondaga County.

📊 Explore The State of Early Childhood in Onondaga County report: https://www.ecaonondaga.org/post/2026-state-of-early-childhood-in-onondaga-county

08/26/2026

We were honored to attend the Cabrini Health Foundation’s Nonprofit Leaders and Community Partners Reception yesterday.

The Foundation’s support has helped the ECA Onondaga build trusted relationships with families, better understand the challenges they face, and strengthen connections to resources that support healthy child development.

We’re grateful for their continued commitment to improving the health and well-being of communities across New York State and proud to be among the many organizations whose work they have supported.

08/25/2026

We are truly saddened by the passing of Dolly Parton, whose extraordinary legacy will live on through the millions of children and families touched by her generosity, imagination, and belief in the power of books.

Through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, she turned that belief into a worldwide movement, helping children experience the joy of having books of their very own.

Here in Onondaga County, that legacy has taken root in an incredible way. Through the Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County, more than two million Imagination Library books have now been gifted to local children, opening the door to countless stories, conversations, and moments of connection.

We are deeply grateful for the legacy Dolly leaves behind and the many ways it will continue to touch generations of children and families. ❤️