This fall, the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center (EWECC) will welcome its youngest students yet. For the first time in its history, the Center will offer a dedicated infant program for children starting at 12 months old — a milestone years in the making and one that fulfills a vision long held by the Center’s namesake, Eleanor Whitmore.
The decision to open an infant room comes in direct response to a growing need on the East End for early childhood education and childcare to begin even sooner. “Our namesake, Eleanor Whitmore, always wanted to include infants in the Center’s reach for early childhood education and childcare. In reviewing our waitlist for toddlers, we realized that most of our families on that list were looking for placement at an earlier age than 18 months,” says Tim Frazier, Executive Director of EWECC.
EWECC opened their doors in 1969 as a licensed, nonprofit childcare provider on Eastern Long Island. The Center provides affordable, high-quality education and year-round, full-day Monday to Friday care to working families across a socially and economically diverse community — in what is considered a childcare desert. Many families must join waitlists early, sometimes before their child is even born, in the hope of securing a spot.
“The research is clear that the first five years of a child’s life matter most,” says Tim. “Our community has very few options for infant care, and we believe that by offering childcare and education for infants, we can begin to meet that need in our community.”
Running an infant program requires special licensing, smaller teacher-to-child ratios, and specialized equipment — all of which make it more expensive than toddler and pre-K programs. The Center has already met all licensing requirements through the New York State Office of Child and Family Services, which Tim says “has a high bar of accountability” and is “fully supportive of our desire to include infant care and education for our community.”
Program Director Mercedes Counihan is equally enthusiastic about the new program’s potential. “We recognize the growing need in our community for high quality infant care, especially in working families. Expanding into infant care felt like a natural step to provide continuity for families from the very beginning of their child’s development,” she says.
Infant care not only benefits children’s development but also supports the local economy. It enables parents — especially women — to remain in the workforce without career interruptions, helping local businesses retain a reliable and talented workforce. “It opens up additional spots for families with infants who have been waiting for care since pregnancy. It also helps out parents with younger siblings to have their children together and on the same schedule. Our goal is to continue to nurture the whole child, support the families, and build a community,” Mercedes explains.
The infant program will feature a 1-to-4 teacher-to-child ratio, ensuring each baby receives ample attention, bonding, and sensory-based learning. “We will focus on sensory play, language development, and bonding to support early learning, giving them a love of learning and sharing on their journeys while they are here with us at EWECC,” Mercedes says.
For Tim, the most exciting part is simple: “Starting to meet a known need in our community for working parents that is hard for them to find.” Mercedes agrees, adding, “Knowing we are a part of the very foundation of the child’s life is very special. Learning, connections, and growth are key to this new program.”
The new infant program is a long-awaited step forward in ensuring every child — and every working family — has the resources they need from the very start. To help keep this much-needed service affordable, EWECC is actively fundraising to offset the additional costs. Donations can be made at www.ewecc.org/support.
