A powerful new collaboration between a regional hospital, a housing organization, a community bank, and a nonprofit early education group is offering a groundbreaking solution to Dutchess County’s ongoing child care shortage. Today, representatives from Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Hudson River Housing, DAY ONE Early Learning Community, and NBT Bank gathered alongside local leaders and community members to celebrate the completion of The NEST on Young Street—short for Nurturing Early Success Together. This newly renovated property will soon serve families across Poughkeepsie while creating a pathway to both business ownership and long-term housing stability for a local early childhood educator.
The effort represents a first-of-its-kind model for Dutchess County: a 24-hour licensed child care program designed to meet the needs of essential workers and families with non-traditional schedules. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, partners also announced a $100,000 grant from the Dutchess County-Poughkeepsie Land Bank to renovate a neighboring property. Once complete, this additional building will allow The NEST to expand into true round-the-clock care, easing one of the community’s most urgent workforce challenges.
At the core of this project is DAY ONE Early Learning Community, a Poughkeepsie-based nonprofit committed to developing high-quality early childhood educators from within the community. Through its Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway (TAP), DAY ONE provides intensive hands-on training, classroom experience, and financial support to help apprentices earn credentials while being paid for their work. Participants graduate prepared to run high-quality programs and, importantly, to operate their own early education businesses.
One such graduate, Danielle McClinton, will own and operate the Group Family Day Care located at 2 Young Street. She will also reside on site, creating a stable live-work environment that supports her business and long-term path to homeownership. For McClinton, this opportunity represents both personal achievement and an investment in the families of her community.
“I never imagined owning my own business was possible in early education,” McClinton shared. “DAY ONE believed in me and gave me the tools to do this. Now I get to welcome families into this beautiful space and give their children the joy and learning they need during the most important years of their lives. I’m so proud to be doing this work right here in my community.”
The collaboration behind The NEST reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the region’s workforce and supporting family well-being. Vassar Brothers Medical Center, one of the area’s largest employers, owns the property and leases it to Hudson River Housing, which managed the renovation of what had previously been a vacant home. Funding from NBT Bank and the Leviticus Fund made the renovation possible, while Hudson River Housing and its general contractor, Gutierrez Building Corp., transformed the property into a welcoming live-work child care home.
The newly announced $100,000 Land Bank grant will support the renovation of an adjacent building at 6 Young Street. Once complete, The NEST will be able to provide care during evenings, overnight shifts, and weekends—ensuring that families working in healthcare, public safety, hospitality, and other essential fields can access dependable, high-quality early learning at any hour.
Leaders from each partner organization emphasized the importance of the collaboration.
“At Vassar Brothers, we know that when our workers and their families have access to stable housing and quality child care, it strengthens not only our hospital but the entire region,” said Susan Browning, President of Vassar Brothers Medical Center. “This project shows what can happen when we come together to invest in the health and future of our community.”
Hudson River Housing’s CEO, Christa Hines, highlighted the broader impact: “Revitalizing a vacant property into much-needed affordable housing and quality child care is a major win for our community. It has been inspiring to see what we can achieve when we work together with a shared vision.”
John Davies, Hudson Valley Regional President for NBT Bank, reinforced the bank’s role in strengthening local economic opportunity. “We are honored to help expand child care access and promote entrepreneurship in Poughkeepsie.”
City leadership echoed the significance of the project. “The NEST on Young Street represents hope, opportunity, and the kind of innovation that moves Poughkeepsie forward,” said Mayor Yvonne D. Flowers.
The need for accessible child care is acute—not only in Dutchess County, but nationwide. A 2023 ReadyNation report estimates that child care challenges cost the U.S. economy $122 billion annually in reduced workforce participation and lost business productivity. Families who work evenings, nights, and irregular shifts face even fewer options.
“This is a local solution to a nationwide problem,” said Madeline Henriquez, Executive Director of DAY ONE. “We’re proving that you don’t have to wait for massive funding or new construction. Communities can take action now by reimagining what already exists. This model can be replicated anywhere.”
To date, more than 100 early educators have completed DAY ONE’s apprenticeship program, bringing high-quality, play-based learning to more than 500 children throughout the region. Results have been significant: DAY ONE students score twice as high as the national average on kindergarten readiness assessments, and more than 95% of their Pre-K learners meet math readiness benchmarks.
The NEST on Young Street stands as a model of what strong partnerships can accomplish—supporting families, empowering local educators, revitalizing neighborhoods, and strengthening the workforce. It is not just a new child care center, but the beginning of a scalable, community-driven approach to ensuring that every child has access to nurturing, joyful early learning from day one.
