Child Care Council Announces 2017 Champions for Children
CCCW Board Member Cecilia McKenney, Pediatrician Jennifer Canter, and Ossining Union Free School District to be recognized at May 19th event in Tarrytown, NY
The Child Care Council of Westchester (CCCW) - a nonprofit resource organization that works to ensure every child in Westchester has access to quality early care and education – announces the 2017 recipients of its Champions for Children Awards: Dr. Jennifer Canter, CCCW Board member Cecilia McKenney of Frontier Communications; and the Ossining Union Free School District. Honorees will be recognized at the Annual Awards Breakfast on Friday, May 19th, 2017 from 8:00 to 10:00 am at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, NY. Tara Rosenblum of News 12 Westchester will be Master of Ceremonies.
Each year since 2003, the Child Care Council presents the Champions for Children Awards to individuals and organizations who demonstrate an unwavering commitment to bright futures for children by creating or funding life-changing programs and initiatives. At the same event, the Council presents Joey Awards to professional care providers and community leaders who make outstanding contributions to child care and quality of life for children and working parents.
Cecilia McKenney of Bedford, NY is the Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer at Frontier Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: FTR), a Fortune 250 company serving 10M customers in the U.S. She leads the Consumer and Small Office division, a $5B business with full P&L responsibility including leadership for product development and pricing, brand, media and digital marketing, channel sales and distribution, customer care, the customer experience and insights team and leads the Frontier Secure division. McKenney joined Frontier in 2006 from The Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) where she was Group Vice President, Headquarters Human Resources and played a leading role following PBG’s spinoff from PepsiCo. She has served on the Board of the Child Care Council of Westchester since 2004.
“As a working mother and as a corporate executive, I know the critical importance of high-quality, affordable child care. For many families, a two-income household is the norm, and missing work due to a lack of child care coverage can be disruptive for all concerned,” said McKenney. “The mission of the Council is to give everyone - children, parents, and employers - the best possible child care resources and support. I am proud to be a part of an organization that offers solutions that allow children to thrive. Every parent knows that if our children are safe, healthy, happy and learning, anything and everything else in our day is manageable.”
Dr. Jennifer Canter is a board-certified pediatrician with sub-specialty training and certification in the field of Child Abuse Pediatrics/Forensic Pediatrics. She has been Director of the Child Abuse Pediatrics programs at the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network; the Westchester Institute for Human Development; and New York Medical College since 2002, including the Forensic Acute Care Team (FACT); a regional pediatric and adult collaborative practice SAFE program. She serves on Westchester County’s child fatality review team, is Co-Principal Investigator for Safe Babies New York, an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at New York Medical College and oversees Child Abuse Pediatrics related educational activities for medical, law enforcement, child protective services and community agencies within various Hudson Valley counties and for New York Medical College.
The Ossining Union Free School District serves about 5,000 students from Ossining and Briarcliff Manor in six schools. Ossining sets high standards for students, embraces diversity and believes all children can learn and become informed and responsible citizens. The district implemented a full-day pre-kindergarten program in September 2014. It offers Spanish/English dual-language classes from students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The district has strong partnerships with community organizations, including First Steps early literacy program for children from birth to age four.
“We are grateful to be recognized for this prestigious award,” said Superintendent Raymond Sanchez. ”In the Ossining schools, we believe that learning begins at birth and, as such, we have implemented programs which provide such supports to our families. We are honored to be recognized for our efforts by the Child Care Council of Westchester and will continue to advocate for all of our children.”
Event tickets and sponsorships, as well as journal ads in support of the Champions, are available for purchase online at http://bit.ly/2017cccwawards. For more information about the Annual Awards Breakfast, contact Dana Lawless at (914) 761-3456 x127 or danal@cccwny.org.
About the Child Care Council of Westchester
The Child Care Council of Westchester is a private, nonprofit resource organization that champions the healthy development of children, families and communities by promoting quality early care and education. A unique, “one stop” agency for child care, the Council offers parent referrals, training, information, technical assistance, reports on the industry, and public education for parents, child care programs, governmental organizations and the business community. Since its inception in 1968, the Council has grown to become the premier authority on child care services throughout Westchester County. The Council recently attained Quality Assurance, establishing it as one of the nation’s leading Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs). The national recognition was awarded by Child Care Aware® of America.