A Message from Rossmery Dais

For more than 30 years, the 1199SEIU Child Care Funds and the 1199SEIU/Employer Child Care Corporation have supported more than 460,000 children and families of essential healthcare workers and the broader community. As we enter our next quarter century, our commitment remains unwavering: to serve working families through nurturing, enriching child-care programs and trusted resources.

We are excited to celebrate and share programmatic highlights from 2025 that reflect the passion and dedication of our amazing team. In this newsletter, you’ll read about the Youth Mentoring Program (YMP) closing ceremony, featuring keynote speaker Congresswoman Yvette Clarke of Brooklyn, who shared inspiring reflections—including her experience as one of YMP’s first program managers. Through the New York City-funded Summer Youth Employment Program, 84 WorkForce Program students gained valuable internship experience across a range of industries. More than 660 youth built friendships and resilience at our Anne Shore Sleep-Away Camp, while our youngest learners showcased their curiosity and creativity at the Future of America Learning Center’s annual science fair.

On October 22, we proudly hosted our 18th Annual Care for Kids Gala. The theme, Bridges to the Future, perfectly captured the pathways our programs create for children and families. We were honored to recognize three extraordinary leaders: Amalgamated Bank and its President and CEO, Priscilla Sims Brown; Marilyn A. Fraser, MD, CEO of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health; and Tomas Ramos, Founder, President and CEO of the Oyate Group. Together, these honorees exemplify leadership in social justice, public health, education and youth development. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we raised over $300,000 for our programs. We are deeply grateful to our donors and to our corporate sponsor, Aetna, for its unwavering partnership.

I look forward to the continued programs, partnerships and resources—and most importantly, the peace of mind—that our Child Care team provides to working families every day.

All the best,

Rossmery Dais
Executive Director, 1199SEIU Child Care Funds
President, 1199SEIU/Employer Child Care Corporation