The North East Community Center’s Early Learning Program shuttered abruptly last December after nonprofit leadership announced that significant financial strain required the program’s termination. NECC Executive Director Christine Sergent said the organization remains open to reconsidering childcare in the future.
Dutchess County is one of three counties selected to receive significant state funding as part of a new childcare pilot program announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul last week — an initiative that could expand childcare options in rural communities like Millerton.
The announcement follows Hochul’s State of the State address in which she proposed a landmark $4.5 billion investment toward universal childcare in New York. Hochul visited a childcare center in Queens on Thursday, Jan. 15, to outline her vision for the rollout of the pilot program, which would include a total of $60 million in state funding, along with additional funding from each of the three counties — Dutchess, Monroe and Broome — with a particular focus on serving newborns to three-year-olds.
“When we invest in our kids, we’re investing not just in their future, but the future of our state,” Hochul said. She called her plan aggressive, bold and ambitious with a focus on access and cost.
While the proposal must still be approved by the State Legislature as part of the 2026 budget process, Dutchess County’s Department of Community and Family Services is expected to work with the state on developing ideas to address Dutchess-specific needs. The state budget is due April 1.
Filling a local gap
The pilot would support community-based programming, a move that could fill the gap left in Millerton by the recent abrupt closure of North East Community Center’s Early Learning Program (ELP).
NECC officially closed the program on Dec. 19, 2025, after determining that the financial burden of operating a daycare had become unsustainable. The decision followed months of quiet internal deliberation and came as a shock to families and staff. NECC leadership cited rising operating costs, declining enrollment and the loss of grant funding as driving factors in the closure.
Christine Sergent, Executive Director of NECC, said the organization remains open to reconsidering childcare in the future, though no timeline has been announced.
“We are monitoring the governor’s actions as they clearly relate to the needs of the people we serve,” Sergent said. She added that she is hopeful that potential state resources could eventually bring more childcare options back to Millerton and surrounding communities, whether before or after NECC moves to a new facility.
Dutchess County Legislator Chris Drago, D-District-19, said the closure of the ELP has intensified the childcare challenges in the region. Drago, who had been working to raise awareness about the issue even before the pilot program was announced, said cuts to federal funding will be felt in rural Dutchess County.
“Childcare is a must-have,” Drago said. “Families need childcare if they’re going to work, and this is something we need to be fighting for.”
While he said Hochul’s proposal is a step in the right direction, Drago described the funding as a “drop in the bucket.” He hopes to organize a public forum to discuss the issue and better inform state representatives about the urgent childcare needs in northern Dutchess County.
Still, the news signals hope for local parents like Kim Yarnell, whose family was affected by the ELP closure.
“As a parent, I have struggled for years trying to source reliable and affordable care for my kids just so I could go to work,” Yarnell said, adding that she is thrilled about the pilot program.
Yarnell said it will be crucial that those overseeing the pilot rollout involve parent advocates upfront as part of the process to ensure that funding and support are allocated to not just county-run childcare facilities, but also private and in-home care – especially in rural communities like Millerton.
Beginning this week, readers will see a redesigned Compass section, focused on arts and lifestyle coverage from across the region. This update marks the first step in an expanded approach to arts and lifestyle reporting.
Compass covers the creative, cultural, and everyday activity that shapes life here — the work people make, the places they gather and the ways communities express themselves. Arts and lifestyle reporting is part of the broader story of this area and an essential record of how people live.
New this week is the introduction of a regular community profile highlighting individuals who contribute to the region’s cultural life through creative work, long-standing involvement in local institutions, or by simply making life here more interesting.
Arts and lifestyle coverage is not only about documenting what has already happened. Compass will continue to emphasize reporting on events and activities readers can take part in — performances, exhibitions, talks, festivals and outdoor activities.
We’re also seeking new voices. We welcome story ideas, tips and pitches, and we’re interested in working with writers and photographers who want to contribute thoughtful, independent arts and lifestyle coverage. Send inquiries to nataliaz@lakevillejournal.com.
We look forward to your feedback.
The assertion by Tyler Graham — who says he wants to “Save Millerton” — that the Town of North East should not follow, or copy, the lighting code from the wealthy town of Southampton has no merit.
The members of the Zoning Review Committee have held nearly 100 meetings, according to Town Supervisor Chris Kennan, who notes that the new code is intended “to support business growth and expand housing opportunities — not transform Millerton into something unrecognizable.”
That sounds good to us. In the case of lighting, this hard-working group of our neighbors did extensive research, and relying on their expertise and knowledge, decided that, in the case of lighting, this was the best proposed language for our Town to adopt.
Of course villages and towns use each other’s language — there is nothing fishy about this. In fact, this is the job of the Zoning Review Committee. Let’s thank the members for doing such a thoughtful and thorough job.
Also, there will be ample opportunities for residents to be involved. Suggesting otherwise is counterproductive.
Ellen & Moshe Adler
Millerton
Congratulations to Quest grant recipients. Quest is a fund at BTCF started by the late Rhoda Lubalin, a longtime Amenia resident.
Per her wishes, Quest’s goal is to add cultural, artistic, scholastic enrichment opportunities and equipment for students that would not otherwise be available, given the limits of Webutuck’s annual budget.
Grant awards for 2026 were announced at the Webutuck School Board meeting on Monday.
Thus far, $144k has been awarded, over approximately 14 years, to teachers, and non- profits, including Cary Institute, North East Community Center and the Wassaic Project. This year, a Webutuck student was also granted an award!
Many thanks to all who submitted thoughtful grant requests on behalf of Webutuck students.
Vicki Doyle
Amenia Town Councilwoman
The following excerpts from The Millerton News were compiled by Kathleen Spahn and Rhiannon Leo-Jameson of the North East-Millerton Library.
Harold Denison of Boston Corners, noted etcher and illustrator, has the distinction of being the first to report seeing a robin in this section. Mr. Denison saw a robin, generally accepted as an official herald of spring, at his Boston Corners home Saturday morning.
The Taconic State Park Commission has requested $10,500,000 of the Federal PWA for continuation of the Eastern State Parkway, it was revealed last week at the Park Commission’s office in Poughkeepsie. It was disclosed further that Governor Lehman has incorporated in his annual budget message a special bill providing for the expenditure of $325,000 to be paid out of bond issue moneys to continue construction of the Parkway. With the possibility that funds will be forthcoming from both Federal and State sources, the opinion was expressed that perhaps sufficient money would be available to complete the project this year.
Paul T. Winslow, executive secretary of the Commission, in disclosing that the request had been submitted to FWA officials said that first of all the appropriation would provide sufficient funds to continue the road through Dutchess and Columbia Counties to the Albany-Pittsfield road. Other projects included in the request are an administration building and bath houses for the park area, a police station for the parkway, dredging in the Norrie State Park at Staatsburg in the construction of a basin for small river craft and a swimming pool at Norrie Park.
Because President Roosevelt was especially interested in the Parkway while Governor of New York and also because the project has already been started and requires only additional funds for its completion, Taconic Park Commission officials were optimistic that they would receive an allocation of the proposed huge public works appropriation.
Excavation for the new addition to the Shufelt Building was started Monday morning by Edward Hoffman who has been awarded the contract for the concrete work. Contracts for the balance of the construction work have not been let as yet. The addition is to be a one-story, wooden structure and will fill the corner of the Shufelt property at Main and John Streets.
TACONIC, Feb. 13 - Men employed by E. G. Woodward and Walter Angus are harvesting ice from the Channel. Thomas O’Hara, Sr., is also harvesting ice from the big lake. The ice is from twelve to fourteen inches thick.
Mrs. Carl Smith of Bailey’s Island, Me., is a guest of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Curtis at Grassland Farm.
Miss Mildred Pitcher, focal school teacher, is now boarding with Mr. and Mrs. Peter Wick.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilbert Hemmerly of Lakeville were guests of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Rebillard on Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles O’Hara and son have returned to their home here after spending several days with Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Parsons in Salisbury.
Mrs. Carrie Stubbs of Portland. Me., who has been a guest of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Curtis, has returned home.
Mr. and Mrs. William Kelsey of Amenia. N. Y., were recent guests of relatives in town.
A daughter, Madeline Louise, was born on Thursday morning to Mr. and Mrs. Pierre Thomen.
Webutuck Central School could stand to lose over 15 per cent of its State aid next year if the New York legislature approves budget cuts presently proposed by Governor Hugh Carey.
Webutuck District Principal Mike Rindsberg said at Monday’s School Board meeting that “at the moment the prospects are very dim” for State Aid for the 1976-1977 school year. “Unless some adjustment is made, we could lose well over $200,000,” said that Webutuck administrator.
School Board Member Mary Fortin asked school administrators if parents are aware of the proper behavior for children on school buses. She said that she knew cases of chronic misbehavior.
MILLERTON- On May 18, Deborah Barrett, an employee at The Lakeville Journal Co., will commence on a three-day, 60-mile walk from Leominster, Mass. to Boston in order to raise money and show support for breast cancer research.
After a close friend passed away from an illness last March, Ms. Barrett, a Copake Falls resident, felt compelled to find a way to express not only her grief, but also her desire to help decrease the occurrence of such untimely deaths. While surfing the Web, Ms. Barrett found information about the Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day Walks, and knew it was the right thing for her to do.
