At the moment, $2.4 billion has been set aside for trying to fix the badly damaged child care sector of New York State, but advocates are say that money is slow moving.
State Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi says the one to blame for that is the Cuomo administration.
Hevesi said that administration chose to sit on money that people needed for no reason.
He said the Office of Children and Family Services has been wonderful with disbursing the money though.
One of he biggest issues is that while childcare shortages persist, so will work force shortages, which will keep the recovery of the economy slow moving.
Hevesi believes that if there were ever a time to transform childcare, it would be now, with Governor Kathy Hochul in her position. Her experience includes being the head of the state’s Child Care Availability Taskforce.
The following bills are part of a package backed by Hevesi and the state’s child care task force:
Allowing Social Services Districts to Expand Child Care Subsidy Eligibility: gives counties the ability to use federal funds as subsidies for families that earn too much yet still struggle financially.
Remove Work Requirement for Student Parents Receiving Child Care Subsidies: Counties will no longer require a parent getting public assistance to work 17.5 hours per week while in school to qualify for child care.
Child Care Pay Rate Differential: Counties must pay a 15% susidy for child care providers who care for homeless children.
Child Care Cost Study: New York must create a cost estimation model to provide data on the actual cost of providing child care, not what parents must pay to get child care.
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