Day One Early Learning community
A joyful start.
A pathway for all.
Every child deserves a strong start and every community deserves great educators to make it happen.
Our Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway (DAY ONE TAP) prepares community members to become early childhood educators in 11 weeks – then helps them build teaching careers or open their own child care programs.
90%
of brain development happens before age 5, but most kids miss this window
$122B
lost annually to child care chaos in wages and productivity
150K
early childhood jobs that should exist but don’t
The child care struggle is real.
But the solution is simpler than you think.
TAP is how communities build early learning from the inside out.
The first five years are a once-in-a-lifetime window. DAY ONE helps communities act on that urgency by preparing the educators children need. We create:
Pathways into the field
TAP turns community members into early childhood educators. Graduates can open their own programs.
Pathways to stronger communities
Trusted early learning lets parents work. TAP creates stable local careers. Children start school ready to learn.
Pathways to learning
Every DAY ONE TAP graduate means more child care seats for working families. DAY ONE-affiliated programs are where kids play, discover, and learn with joy.
A pathway to meaningful work. Right here in your community.
Build a career helping children thrive and get paid while you learn.
- You need: A high school diploma or GED. A commitment to helping kids grow. Eleven weeks, full time.
- Where DAY ONE TAP graduates go: Open your own licensed home-based child care. Work at an early childhood center. Mentor the next cohort.
“DAY ONE was the first to say: you’re not a babysitter, you’re a brain builder. Now I mentor new TAP graduates and I’ve hired two onto my staff.
DAY ONE TAP graduate & Affiliate Child Care Provider
The difference DAY ONE makes
From classrooms to careers, it’s already working.
500+
Children
receiving high-quality education in DAY ONE classrooms
100+
Educators
trained through the Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway
90%
Pre-K students
achieved double the national readiness rate.
2
Communities
transformed Poughkeepsie, Kingston, and growing.
Behind every number is a story
Families, educators, and communities share what DAY ONE has meant in their lives.
Family voice
Educator voice
Partner voice
What’s happening at DAY ONE?
Stories, milestones, and moments from our classrooms and communities.
Dutchess County receives $20 million for pilot child care program
Poughkeepsie's 'The NEST' to contribute to 24-hour child care model in Dutchess County
14% of families spend more on day care than housing. What’s the fix?
It’s already working—and it can work anywhere.
When we prepare educators and help them build careers close to home, children thrive, families breathe easier, and communities become stronger.