Putnam Early Learning Center to Include Preschool Services

Community Based Services recently hosted State Sen. Pete Harckham, Putnam Executive Kevin Byrne and representatives of county government, Jay Diesing of Mauri Architects, and Mary Urban, vice president of public affairs for WIN Waste Innovations – which has been a supporter of the initiative, for a tour of the renovations being completed at the Putnam Early Learning Center & Preschool in Patterson.

A major expansion of the Putnam County Early Learning Center was recently announced, aiming to bring high-quality preschool and therapeutic services closer to Putnam families.

The Putnam County Early Learning Center began offering services from its Hudson Valley InterArts building in Patterson last fall. The seven-room facility, operated by nonprofit Community Based Services in collaboration with the Putnam County Health Department and Brewster and Carmel schools, offered educational and daycare programming for students and their families and is part of the county’s ThinkDIFFERENTLY initiative to encourage public awareness and expanded access to services for children with special needs.

Now, the school is becoming the Putnam Early Learning Center & Preschool.

The program served 23 students in its inaugural year and is expected to serve 46 students this fall, doubling access to critical early intervention and preschool services for Putnam families.

The project reflects years of collaboration among state and local leaders, nonprofit organizations, and community partners working to address a critical gap in services for young children with disabilities.

A longstanding challenge for Putnam families has been that too many young children with disabilities have had to travel outside the county – often more than an hour each way – to receive essential preschool services. This center brings specialized educational and therapeutic services closer to home, reducing burdens on families while creating an environment where children can learn, grow, and thrive. 

County employees Valerie Kurtz and Shanna Seigel, and Director of Public Health Rian Rodriquez helped champion the initiative, and State Sen. Pete Harckham has long advocated on behalf of individuals with disabilities throughout the Hudson Valley. His support for Community Based Services and Hudson Valley InterArts, specifically, has helped advance programs that promote inclusion, opportunity, and community engagement, and has been instrumental in helping create a pathway for the preschool expansion, ensuring that more children can access critical services within their own communities. 

“Today represents the power of partnership and a shared commitment to creating opportunities for children and families,” said Vicki Sylvester, chief executive officer of Community Based Services. “This preschool expansion will transform the lives of children and families for generations to come.”

The preschool expansion builds on previous investments at the 40 Jon Barrett Road facility in Patterson. Through New York State’s Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, & Technology Program, Harckham helped secure approximately $100,000, helping prepare the Patterson site for the next phase of renovation and build-out while advancing Community Based Service’s efforts to expand educational and community-based services in Putnam County. 

“Universal pre-kindergarten programs provide tremendous benefits to our students, our communities, and our overall economy,” said Harckham. “Ensuring that families have access to high-quality facilities within a reasonable distance of their homes is essential.”

The organization also applauded Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne for his leadership and commitment to improving services for children with disabilities and their families. 

“This funding is a major investment in the continued success of Putnam County’s Early Learning Center, an innovative program that is already delivering better outcomes for children, reducing burdens on families and school districts, and saving taxpayer dollars,” said Byrne. “The new building in Patterson will allow us to build on that success and provide even more children with the high-quality services they deserve right here in Putnam County.”

As construction continues, Community Based Services says it looks forward to welcoming Putnam Early Learning Center & Preschool, a state-of-the-art program, into its expanded permanent home that will provide critical services close to home while serving as a model for what is possible when communities unite around a shared vision. 

Once completed, the project will allow more children to be served in Putnam County, reduce travel burdens for families, support school districts, and strengthen access to inclusive early learning for years to come.