50 signatures reached
To: New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), Senator Jabari Brisport Senator April N. M. Baskin
Diane Abram (formerly Diane Ballard) Has 30+ Years. OCFS Says She’s Not Qualified?!
The New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) must revise its qualifications for daycare center directors to recognize proven experience and leadership—not just academic degrees. Providers who have held a license in good standing and have demonstrated at least 10 years of high-quality care, professional development, and community leadership should be eligible to serve as directors.
We are calling on Senators Jabari Brisport and April N. M. Baskin to:
- Lead the effort to change OCFS policy
- Introduce or support legislation that opens director roles to experienced, licensed providers
- Ensure New York’s childcare system reflects equity, lived expertise, and the realities of today’s workforce
This change would directly benefit working families, improve retention in the field, and honor the contributions of providers who have been doing the work for decades.
Why is this important?
Across New York, long-serving family childcare providers are being blocked from becoming daycare directors solely because they don’t have a college degree—even if they’ve spent decades caring for children, mentoring others, and leading within their communities.
Diane Abram (formerly Diane Ballard) is one of those providers. She began her licensed family daycare over 30 years ago under her maiden name and has supported generations of families in Buffalo. In addition to providing high-quality care, Diane has trained new providers, advocated for stronger childcare policies, and stood up for working families across the state. Despite her proven leadership and deep community roots, she was denied the opportunity to become a daycare center director—because she doesn’t hold a degree.
This outdated requirement disregards real-world experience and disproportionately harms Black and Brown women, older providers, and those in underserved communities who built their careers through hard work, not academic credentials. Many of these providers work 60 to 80 hours a week, often offering non-traditional hours like evenings, overnights, and weekends—services most centers don’t provide, but working families rely on.
We urge Senators Jabari Brisport and April N. M. Baskin to:
- ✅ Support policy change at OCFS to recognize experience-based qualifications for director roles
- ✅ Champion equitable leadership pathways for providers with proven service
- ✅ Lead efforts that remove structural barriers to advancement in early childhood care