Ossining Children’s Center Campaign

OUR CHILDREN.
OUR FUTURE.
OUR VISION
Every child deserves the chance to blossom. And children
blossom when their families thrive, which strengthens the
entire community. For over 120 years, the Ossining Children’s
Center has played a vital role in this extraordinary process –
helping children realize their fullest potential and advocating
for families in a vibrant community. With your support, let’s
help more and more children and their families flourish, for
the benefit of us all.

Photos by Scott Stanger.

 “
The Ossining Children’s Center opens opportunities
for children to become lovers of learning, and for families
to flourish as contributing members of our community.
OCC is one of Ossining’s great community resources.

— Hon. Sandra R. Galef,

New York State Assemblymember, District 95

View of the Hudson River from 32 State Street,

site of the new Ossining Children’s Center.
Front cover and river photo by Greg Perry.
 Our Children.
Our Future.
Imagine a society that focuses its best resources on its children.
Their well-being. Their health. Their development. Their growth into
productive adulthood.

You might think this describes affluent Westchester County. But even here, there’s no guarantee of a strong
and supportive start in life.

In fact, many parents are struggling. Working hard just to get by, they cannot, for example, find or afford the
kind of early child care that provides the emotional support and education their children need. And their
grade school-age kids need the recreation, enrichment, and homework help that working parents often can’t
provide after school.

Many working parents are forced to leave their young children in sub-standard, even unsafe, child care
situations, often with unlicensed babysitters. And without after-school programs, many older children
become unsupervised “latch key” kids.

4 Ossining Children’s Center Campaign

A RISKY FUTURE?
As a result, too many children enter kindergarten without the
experiences that nurture optimum brain development and the
sense of well-being gained from quality child care. And too
many grade-schoolers are being left behind without appropriate
supervision and resources. Without this solid foundation, these
students are at a greater risk of not meeting their potential in life –
a loss for them, their families, and our entire community.

Child care experts and many studies that track low-income

children through adulthood confirm that attending a good
preschool increased career achievement and reduced the need for
remedial education, welfare assistance, or criminal justice system
interventions.

OR A BETTER SOLUTION.
Children have a much better chance for a bright future when
they start with a positive preschool experience, and when they’re
supported with fulfilling before- and after-school programs. Since
we know what works, isn’t it up to all of us to provide opportunities
for children to succeed?

Please read on to learn how the Ossining

Children’s Center — serving children
admirably since 1895 — meets these
challenges today, addresses the forces
that threaten the center’s existence,
and plans to build the strong, sustainable
future we envision for the children of
our community.
 OCC at the Crossroads
The Ossining Children’s Center (OCC) has created an environment where
children feel safe, loved, engaged, respected and ready to take on the world.

In fact, we’re one of the few child care and education centers to receive a four-star rating from Quality Stars
NY, a division of the Early Childhood Advisory Council, the official agency that provides strategic direction
and advice to New York State on early childhood issues.

This rating is a respected third-party endorsement of what we do, day in and day out, providing:

Loving care and development for infants  afe and stimulating before- and after-
S
school programs through grade 6
 ealthy and nurturing play and learning
H
for toddlers  full-day summer camp for preschool
A
and elementary-school-age children
 ge-appropriate education and
A
socialization for children in pre-K

But this remarkable organization is at a major crossroads. To provide a hopeful and secure future for the
children in our community, we need better facilities and a strong financial plan, so we can provide the
services and care that, year after year, our parents need and have come to expect. Here are the challenges…
and an exciting, viable solution.

“
As a child development professional, I wish every child could be in an
environment as nurturing and stimulating as the Ossining Children’s Center.
When I was looking for child care for my sons, I toured day care centers with
a very discerning eye. I knew this was where I wanted my children to be.

— Natalie Gorlin
Occupational Therapist, OCC Board Member

”
6 Ossining Children’s Center Campaign
SIGNIFICANT
CHALLENGES

Our facilities are obsolete.

We occupy two well-worn 120-year old buildings and a facility
we rent for additional space, all of which are in stark contrast to
the high-quality nurturing and educational experiences that go
on inside.

We need more space — especially for infants.

Every year we turn away dozens of families in need of infant care.
Our current facility has enough space to accommodate only eight
infants, nowhere near enough space to meet the need for infant
care in the community.

Government funding is going away.

In recent decades, we have relied on government child care
subsidies for a significant portion of our tuition assistance
program. But because of the drop in government funding, each
year we turn away at least 20 working families who are shut out of
these subsidies, yet can’t possibly afford our full fee.

Increasing the number of paying families.

A new facility that matches the high quality of our programs
will attract more families who have the ability to pay for the
services we offer, which, in turn, enables us to serve more
families in need.

If we don’t change, OCC is not sustainable.

According to five-year financial projections conducted by
Tarn Consulting (a strategic financial analysis firm focused on
nonprofits), given our current enrollment capacity and funding
mix, our survival beyond five to seven years is unlikely. A move
to a bigger and better facility would provide economies of scale,
flexibility to adjust programs based on community needs, and the
ability to add new programs.
A Sound Solution and
a Golden Opportunity
After much research and a review of local real estate, our board and staff
leaders located a 2.5-acre site centrally located in downtown Ossining,
at 32 State Street. Long-time generous benefactors Rebecca and Arthur
Samberg gifted the property to us and pledged to help fund construction
of a new, state-of-the-art center.

The proposed building would house all of our current programs and still meet the growing need for infant,
toddler, preschool and after-school care in Ossining. And with a larger, fully equipped and centrally located
building, we can attract and accommodate a broad range of families from the wider community. This will not
only improve our financial outlook but also strengthen our capabilities and diversity.

“
In places where kids of different economic backgrounds are mixing
in the same environment, those tend to be places where kids from
low-income backgrounds rise up further in the income distribution.

—Nathaniel Hendren
Professor of Economics, Harvard University

All renderings
by KG+D Architects.
MEETING THE NEED FOR
OVER A CENTURY
Since 1895, we have offered age-appropriate, proven programs that provide the emotional and educational
foundations that children need to succeed in school and beyond. Meeting this need year after year, OCC has
become much more than a child care/early education center.

It’s a place that develops critical character skills.

These skills are essential for a successful adult life, including attentiveness, impulse control, collaboration,
curiosity, eagerness to learn, self-discipline, persistence, and the ability to ask for help.

It’s a place where parents are supported.

Supported parents are able to prioritize their roles as breadwinners and as their children’s first and most
influential teachers.

It’s a place where children are safe.

This safety gives peace of mind to parents throughout their workday.

It’s a place where the playground is an essential part of a child’s development.

Playing outdoors is where children safely practice and master emerging physical skills and have fun.
But it also stimulates cognitive, communication and social skills, as well as a growing sense of autonomy.

It’s a place where preschoolers from immigrant families become

fully bilingual by the time they enter kindergarten.
With this capability, they have a much better chance to thrive in school.

It’s a place enriched by a diverse mix of children from the community.

Children of attorneys and financial planners play and learn with the children of day laborers and grocery
store clerks. Supported by study after study and our own experience, we know that children benefit when
they’re exposed to classmates from different backgrounds.

Ossining Children’s Center Campaign 9

 What Makes OCC
So Special?
A generous tuition-assistance program
The Ossining Children’s Center has always made an unwavering commitment to working
families, regardless of their ability to afford the full cost of care. The economic diversity of
the Center’s client families is made possible with “scholarships,” funded by the generosity
of the community and government child care subsidies. These child care scholarships
provide multiple benefits: (1) preparing low and moderate-income children to be successful
in school and beyond; (2) stabilizing the family’s economic conditions by enabling
parents to be reliable employees, which strengthens family well-being; and (3) offering
opportunities that benefit the community as a whole.

Broader learning experiences

With our rock-solid commitment to providing high-quality educational child care to low-
income families, we’re also committed to enrolling children from families who can pay full
fee. Why? Because children in the early childhood classroom have a significant impact on
each other’s intellectual and social development and achievement. So, when youngsters
from low-income families interact with children from more privileged backgrounds,
they’re exposed to a wider array of vocabulary and language usage, skills that provide the
foundation for all future learning. And children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds
gain life skills they need to be productive and thoughtful citizens in our diverse world.

Customized care for infants and toddlers

OCC offers full-day early childhood programs customized to each child’s age and stage of
development. Each program provides a home-away-from-home where children develop
a sense of security, trust, and self-worth. Each infant is assigned to a primary caregiver,
one of only two infants in his or her care. Infants are on their own individual schedules,
mirroring as closely as possible the parents’ at-home routine. With such predictability and
consistency, these little ones feel safe and secure.

Our school-age children enjoy reading and book-related projects, arts and crafts,
music, recreational and educational games, and stimulating field trips. Youngsters
begin to develop life-long habits of balancing work with leisure through a schedule
of down time, physical activity, help with homework, and enrichment experiences.
Breakfast, afternoon snacks and lunch on school holidays and vacations are included.

10 Ossining Children’s Center Campaign

Pre-K partnership with Ossining
Public Schools
We provide a full-day, pre-kindergarten curriculum that mirrors the public school program,
but with the security and intimacy of a small children’s center, plus the convenience of
before-and after-school enrichment programs on the premises.

All-year before- and after-school programs

Our school-age programs offer care, enrichment, as well as homework support for
kindergarteners through sixth graders every school day of the year. To meet the needs of
working parents, the program is also open on most school holidays and school vacations.

Full-day summer camp and

enrichment activities
The Center also transforms into a full-day camp in the summer for preschoolers and
school-age youngsters. Programs include everything from planting and growing an
expansive vegetable garden and studying nature, to participating in music and movement,
to making art, to going on field trips to experience the cultural riches of our region.

On-staff therapeutic support

We are one of the very few centers to have a social worker on our staff. She is available to
offer guidance on everyday parenting problems, as well as support for a child of any age
who might benefit from counseling or other types of early intervention, including access
to state-funded therapeutic services. In a setting that is often a child’s first significant
experience outside the home, we are often the first to identify his or her special needs,
enabling these needs to be addressed early on.

Ossining Children’s Center Campaign 11

 The Vision for Our
Children’s Future
OCC is working with KG&D Architects, a distinguished
Mount Kisco, New York, firm with extensive experience
designing educational facilities. The firm has proposed
a practical and attractive design that takes full advantage
of the property.
The design includes:
With the new building, we would be able to provide our
full array of services at one site, which not only provides
obvious logistical and safety advantages, but also gives our
children and teachers the space they need for active play
and exercise, expressive art, music and dance programs,
and other creative, science and nature-based activities.
The “new OCC” will be able to:

14 STATE-OF-THE-ART
CLASSROOMS
Accommodate more of
the region’s children

REDUCE OVERHEAD
COSTS BY MAINTAINING
A large indoor common JUST ONE MUCH MORE
EFFICIENT BUILDING
area and gym
Expand our partnership with the
Multiple outdoor Ossining Union Free School District
spaces suited for because our larger classrooms will
children at different be able to meet the school system’s
levels of development growing needs

EXPANDED OFFICE ATTRACT THE

SPACE AND PARKING OPTIMAL NUMBER
FOR STAFF AND OF FULL-PAYING
FAMILIES FAMILIES

12 Ossining Children’s Center Campaign

PROPOSED EXPANSION METRICS

Age Group Current Current Number of Desired

Number of Enrollment Rooms We Enrollment
Rooms Want
Infants 1 8 3 24

Toddlers 1 12 2 24

3 & 4 Year Olds 3 50 5 90

5 Year Olds 1 12 1 18

6-12 Year Olds 3 66 3 66

TOTALS 9 148 14 222

90 & 92 S. Highland (Existing) 32 State Street (Proposed)

12,357 Sq. Feet (17,395 with rented space at church) 27,000 Sq. Feet

15 parking spaces 48 parking spaces

3 buildings, 3 programs All programs under one roof

Great playground More playground space

Licensed for 189 students Licensed for 240 students

Property Valued around $800,000 Purchased by donor for $1.8 million

Ossining Children’s Center Campaign 13

BELOW: STREET VIEW OF NEW PROPERTY

ABOVE: PROPOSED MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM

BELOW: PROPOSED INTERIOR CLASSROOM

ABOVE: AERIAL VIEW OF NEW PROPERTY

The Time is Now.
The long waiting list for infant care, the constant need for major building repairs, and the lack of sufficient
scholarship funds to meet the needs of the community have weighed on us for many years and have been
dealt with through creative stop-gap measures.

But now, with all of the challenges we’ve outlined, OCC has been presented with a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity: the gift of property from a long-time, generous benefactor.

It is a golden opportunity we must embrace. Now we invite you to join us. Help us make this new home for
the Ossining Children’s Center – and meet the need for child care in our community.

HELP US HELP OUR CHILDREN.

Ossining Children’s Center has been a beacon for families for well over a century and an integral part of our
surrounding community. We have a vibrant future ahead of us – to help more children and their families
achieve the future they deserve.

With our proven approach to personal growth and learning, your help is critical to making the most of this
incredible opportunity. Join us in nurturing our most important natural resource – our children.

Help us help our community’s children.

Our campaign wouldn’t be possible without the early generosity

of Becky and Art Samberg, Connie Curran, and the late David Swope.

16 Ossining Children’s Center Campaign

 Ossining Children’s Center
OCC children and teachers
in the early 1950s. www.ossiningchildrenscenter.org | 914-941-0230
 OCC AS COMMUNITY ANCHOR FOR OSSINING
OCC has been a fixture in the Ossining community since 1895 – a community model that helps
families thrive and provides excellent childcare in preparation for school, while maintaining
partnerships with a range of community and cultural organizations. Today, Ossining is undergoing
a renaissance with a revitalized downtown area, including our new building. In fact, Westchester
Magazine (October 2017 issue) says Ossining is considered one of county’s best places to live
because of “the sublime beauty of the river,” its racial and religious diversity, mix of neighborhoods,
historic buildings, shops and restaurants.

CAMPAIGN STEERING OSSINING CHILDREN’S CENTER

COMMITTEE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
(as of August 2018) Susan Midgley Komosa, President Madelyn Ricciardi
Rebecca Samberg and Mark Levine, Vice President Lisa Rosenbloom
Marilyn Wishnie, Co-Chairs
Darryl Moy, Secretary Rebecca Samberg
Betsy Block
Noreen Celente, Treasurer Samara Solan
Noreen Celente
Howard Milbert (Ex Officio), Marilyn Wishnie
Connie Curran Executive Director Patrick Yost
Justine Fontinell David Ables
Susan Komosa Elizabeth Block Honorary Directors
Lisa Rosenbloom Alexander Campbell Elisabeth Baker
David Swope (1941-2018) Anne Chehebar Jane Dixon
John Chow Leslie Grey Puner
Justine Fontinell Rosalie Kavy
Clorissa Gioscia Mirla Morrison
Natalie Gorlin Sally Ziegler
Debra Kittay
Associate Directors
Danielle O’Reilly
Ann E. Dealy
Vanessa Pairis
Irwin Kavy

Ossining Children’s Center

90 South Highland Avenue, Ossining, NY 10562
www.ossiningchildrenscenter.org | 914-941-0230