[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 128 (Friday, October 13, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1794]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN HONOR OF THE FEDKIDS CHILD CARE CENTER AND ITS FOUNDER, SUSAN KOSSIN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 12, 2000

  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
Fedkids Child Care Center of New York City and its founder, the late 
Susan Kossin. This is a special time for the Fedkids Center, which is 
one of the first childcare centers established for the children of 
federal employees, because it has recently added more than 1,500 square 
feet of additional space. This expansion more than doubles the capacity 
of the center and creates additional space that will be able to 
comfortably care for 83 chidren--twice the number of children the 
center could serve when it opened in 1988. This expansion was made 
possible by the generosity and vision of the founder of Fedkids, Susan 
Kossin, who unfortunately passed away earlier this year.
  Ms. Kossin, who founded the Fedkids Center while employed by the 
federal government, created the Center, based in Lower Manhattan, 
because she recognized the lack of adequate childcare facilities in the 
mid-1980s. Ms. Kossin took on the arduous task of guiding the decisions 
on site selection, facilities, renovation, equipment, curriculum, 
licensing, finances, legal issues, contractual issues, affordability 
plans, and many other aspects of undertaking such an extraordinary 
challenge.
  Ms. Kossin, a working mother herself, ardently supported the Fedkids 
Center from its conception up until the time of her death. The recent 
expansion was made possible through a grant that Ms. Kossin left to the 
Fedkids Center. Aside from the money that financed the expansion, Ms. 
Kossin's estate has also financed the establishment of a scholarship 
fund to assist in financing the tuition for children in the Fedkids 
program. The enthusiastic and nurturing spirit of Ms. Kossin will live 
on through the Fedkids expansion as well as through her scholarship.
  The organized leadership and guiding spirit of Ms. Kossin made it 
possible for many mothers and fathers employed by the federal 
government to feel confident that while they are at work, their 
children are safe, supervised, and cared for. For providing such an 
invaluable service, the work Ms. Kossin put toward the Fedkids Center 
will continually be appreciated in the Lower Manhattan area.
  This month, the Fedkids Center will be opening its newly expanded 
facilities and naming the new center that Ms. Kossin's generosity and 
guidance created ``Fedkids at the Susan Kossin Child Care Center.'' 
This new center will continue the mission that the Fedkids Child Care 
Center set out to accomplish--to provide loving and attentive care for 
the children of fedeal and non-federal workers in Lower Manhattan.
  Mr. Speaker, I am confident that this mission, based on the unique 
and foresighted vision of Susan Kossin, will continue for many years to 
come. Today, I am proud to salute the Fedkids Child Care Center and the 
admirable generosity of a woman far ahead of her time, Susan Kossin.

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