We are close to leading the charge at a breakneck pace…in the wrong direction. When it comes to being number one, you usually do not want it to be for leading the Hudson Valley region in the decrease in licensed childcare facilities in the past 15 years – but we’re close. Not to mention we still hold second place for fatal overdoses in New York State, which is not an accolade to be proud of either. 

But let’s just focus on the childcare desert that has been revealed in the steady evaporation of young families and childcare centers real quick. In 2007, Sullivan County boasted a generous 118 providers. These providers were largely located near the center of the county, but took up space near county line borders. If you needed services, they were there. 

In 2023 however, we had only 45. In a span of 16 years, we lost 61.9 percent of our licensed childcare facilities, leaving us with only 38.1 percent of what once was – a failing grade by most standards. 

This arid desert in childcare is a catalyst for a number of issues, including the forcing out of working parents to find a place for their children while they are off at their jobs. Like the supreme heat in sandy lands, it takes all slowly but steadily, and without shelter or reprieve from the ongoing heat, there is bound to be a collapse.

We have to find the reprieve and make it a trend of its own! Even today the trend of losing keeps up as families were left to struggle with the unexpected upending of Head Start. 

It’s not fair to the families, and to the children most of all. They count on those types of services just as much if not more than the parents. We hope to see a reversal of these downward leaning trends in Sullivan County sooner rather than later.