Member News

ROCHESTER, NY – Rochester Childfirst Network (RCN) has been awarded $100,000 from the Rochester Area Community Foundation through its Rochester’s Child initiative to expand support for home-based Family Child Care (FCC) providers serving children across Monroe County.

The grant is part of the Foundation’s $467,000 investment in early childhood programs to strengthen home-based childcare and boost early literacy RCN’s Family Child Care program currently supports over 110 licensed in-home providers, serving more than 1,600 children and their families in neighborhoods where they live and work. These small businesses—97% of which are women- and minority-owned—are critical to ensuring families have access to affordable, flexible, and culturally responsive care.

“Home-based childcare is an essential part of Rochester’s early learning landscape,” said Ivelisse Marrero, Director of Family Child Care and CACFP at RCN. “This funding allows us to help providers strengthen their businesses, reduce costs, and create high-quality environments for the children they serve. It will help establish our Family Child Care Pantry at RCN, which provides affordable food and supplies to support their work.”

Across Monroe County, the demand for childcare continues to outpace availability—only 3 slots available for every 10 children under the age of 5, according to a 2020 report by The Children’s Agenda, with more children needing care than licensed spaces available. Family childcare providers help fill this gap by offering smaller, community-based settings with flexible hours and bilingual care—features essential to working families.

“By investing in family childcare, we’re investing in the stability of Rochester’s workforce,” said Ann Marie
Stephan, MS EI, Executive Director of RCN. “When families can access affordable, high-quality care close to home, parents can work, children thrive, and local providers—many small business owners—build stronger, more sustainable futures.”

This grant will help RCN advance its mission to ensure every child receives a strong, safe start in life, while
empowering family childcare providers.

The Rochester Area Community Foundation has been a longstanding partner in RCN’s work, supporting
initiatives that strengthen the network of family childcare providers serving the region’s youngest learners.

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Founded in 1857, Rochester Childfirst Network (RCN) is a licensed nonprofit childcare center and support
network. RCN provides high-quality early childhood education, childcare, therapies, nutrition, and family childcare support services. With a mission to foster learning, development, and equity for all children, RCN serves hundreds of families each year through its diverse programs and services. For more information, visit www.rcn4kids.org or follow RCN on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn