A New Vision for Child Care

PS Family Is Changing The Way We Think About In Home Child Care

By Gabrielle Napolitano, Creative Marketing Manager

Gabrielle Napolitano, Creative Marketing Manager for PS Family

Families with children under 3 and in-home child care providers in Queens have a new family child care network dedicated to supporting their needs. Meet PS Family NYC (Program Support LLC), a progressive relationship based program with a hands-on approach to working with family child care providers. PS Family is transforming traditional childcare.

This boutique network tailors its services to meet the needs of the providers and families they serve. Features and benefits of the network include:

  • One on one support navigating the affiliation process for existing childcare businesses
  • Help with expanding or opening new childcare programs
  • Staff Learning
  • Enrollment assistance for families applying for free and low-cost childcare
  • Financial assistance for families
  • Materials for child care programs
  • Guidance for parents who need financial assistance
  • Coaching for individuals, staff, and owners
  • Workshops and more

PS Family is one of 35 networks that were awarded contracts to supervise family child care providers in Brooklyn and Queens. Networks ensure that providers are trained in best practices, verify parent payment eligibility, and adhere to all DOE guidelines. PS Family offers all this and more.

Photo by caretaker Rosa Avila

The providers affiliated with PS Family use the Let’s Play Curriculum, offer yoga, and many are Spanish speaking, along with many other learning opportunities. PS Family enhances providers offerings with free public workshops and training, like a 10 month CDA course offered to all PS Family network providers at no cost. PS Family hosts a series of free Raising Peaceful Children workshops focusing on raising children without violence. All PS Family events are offered in Spanish and English.

PS Family was brought together by veteran educator, Emelie Gay, with a vision to help in-home child care providers offer quality services and navigate new and ever changing DOE covid requirements, while being an integral part of the community to help children flourish.

Emilie Gay started her educational career as a preschool teacher and has been working in early childhood education for nearly thirty years. Working as an early childhood quality improvement specialist for CUNY research foundation: QUALITYstarsNY, Emilie supported early childhood programs as a consultant. To promote the development of young children through arts and education initiatives, Emilie created a community based organization,The Pistachio and Flourishing projects. A graduate of Chaminade University of Honolulu Hawaii, Emilie has a Masters in Education and is the recipient of the Brooklyn council of the arts regrant. She is also currently a NAEYC Legacy Leadership fellow

For information about PS Family and all that we offer, please check out our website https://psfamilynyc.org

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