Our children at Northern Dutchess Daycare need a boost. Their loving home away from home needs some of the same tremendous care they receive every day at our non-profit, nature-based preschool founded in 1970. Surrounded by a 250-acre forest preserve, our preschoolers, from 18 months to 5 years, learn to respect all creatures, great and small. It’s here that a lifelong love of learning begins.

As daycares around us continue to close, the needs of local families are growing. In early 2026, we will open an infant room to support families in what’s considered an “infant care desert.”

While we care for our children and build this dedicated infant space for babies 6 months and up, our facility needs a major makeover. New bathrooms, walkways and sidewalks, updated lighting, better emergency egress, handicap-accessible ramps, new flooring, and foundation repairs—long overdue improvements that will make our building safer and more functional for all.

Thanks to Senator Hinchey, Northern Dutchess Daycare has been nominated for a $174,000 CREST grant to help meet these building needs. Because it’s a reimbursable grant, we must raise the full amount first, and we won’t receive the funds until the project is completed.

We need your help. Please donate below to lift up our children and secure the future of Northern Dutchess Daycare. We are truly grateful for your support.