A coalition of child care advocates, families, and elected officials will march on City Hall on Sunday to launch a campaign for free child care for all 2-year-olds in New York City. The campaign comes just days after Mayor Eric Adams' State of the City address, which focused on early childhood education but lacked concrete proposals for expanding affordable child care.
Publisher and my father, Wilbert “Bill” Tatum, before me. We’ve been reporting the news of the day from a Black perspective since 1909 –, the first time in the 125 years of this award it has been given to a Black woman publisher – We are proud to provide no paywall journalism for the Black community we serve, the largest Black and Brown community in the country.
A coalition of child care advocates, families, and elected officials will march with strollers on City Hall on Sunday to launch their campaign for free child care for all New York City 2-year-olds. The campaign will kick off just three days after Mayor Eric Adams delivered his annual State of the City speech — which focused heavily on but was criticized by advocates over a lack of concrete child care policy proposals. During the last budget cycle, Adams stalled a similar effort, arguing that thousands of seats were sitting empty due to mismatches of supply and demand in some neighborhoods. But advocates argue that Adams had not invested enough in promoting preschool options to families. During his State of the City address, Adams said the city had extended a 3-K offer to every family that applied on time last year, enrolling 150,000 children across the early childhood system. The campaign pushes for the inclusion of “2-Care” in the next city budget and calls for a significant expansion of the child care system that currently offers support for the city’s 3- and 4-year-olds. Advocates estimate it would serve about 60,000 children and require about $1.3 billion to operate at full-scale. “Families cannot afford to wait until their kids are three to access free child care: the steep cost of child care is pushing parents to their breaking point, and out of New York all together,” said Rebecca Bailin, executive director of New Yorkers United for Child Care, in a statement. “Universal 2-Care is an important step towards reversing these devastating trends and bringing universal, public child care to all of New York State.” Organized by New Yorkers United for Child Care (a grassroots parent group) and United Neighborhood Houses (a policy organization representing many child care providers), the 2-Care campaign has gained support from a range of grassroots advocacy groups, child care providers, and local and state officials, according to a Friday press release. Among those supporting the campaign: city Comptroller Brad Lander and state Sen. Jessica Ramos — two officials who plan to run against Adams in the mayoral race this year. Chyann Tull, a spokesperson for the city’s Education Department, said proposals like 2-Care “highlight the urgent need to invest in our youngest learners, supporting their development and easing financial burdens on families.” “New York City Public Schools understands the profound impact that accessible, high-quality child care has on our families and communities,” she said in a statement. “We must support the sustainability of the current system while we remain committed to working alongside our partners in government to create a seamless, equitable system that sets every child on a path to success from their earliest years.” Child care advocates argue that child care for 2-year-olds is critically important, noting 80% of brain growth occurs before the age of 3. Meanwhile, child care costs can be a significant financial burden for families, forcing parents to choose between leaving their jobs or paying thousands of dollars for private child care services. Full-time child care for a 2-year-old in New York City can cost families roughly $23,400 annually, according to advocates. A universal 2-Care program, advocates say, would offer free child care services to every 2-year-old in the city — operating from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at locations close to home. But that effort stalled under Adams, whose administration contended that thousands of seats were sitting empty due to mismatches of supply and demand in some neighborhoods. A lack of access to affordable child care can have a significant impact on parents’ ability to work, according to data from city government. In 2021, more than half a million people did not seek employment due to child care needs, with about 375,000 parents choosing to leave or considering leaving their jobs due to the combined impact of the pandemic and a lack of affordable child care
CHILD CARE NYC MAYOR ADAMS POLITICS EDUCATION EARLY CHILDHOOD
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Advocates Slam $0 for Child Care in Manchin Anti-Inflation PackageJulia Conley is a staff writer for Common Dreams.
Read more »
Alaska Seeks Solutions to Address Child Care ShortagesA new report by Gov. Mike Dunleavy's Task Force on Child Care offers recommendations to tackle Alaska's child care crisis. The report highlights the need for subsidies to bridge the gap between family expenses and the actual cost of child care, as well as streamlining bureaucratic processes for providers. The report also emphasizes the importance of supporting the child care workforce and addressing geographic disparities in costs.
Read more »
Paris Hilton Advocates for Child Abuse Bill amid Her Own Teen Trauma: 'Silence Doesn't Heal'Paris Hilton has penned an open letter calling for the House of Representatives to pass the Stop Institutional Child Abuse bill before the end of this year’s session
Read more »
Colorado Task Force Calls for Overhaul of Child Abuse Reporting System After Child's DeathFollowing the death of Olivia Gant, a statewide task force in Colorado has recommended significant reforms to the state's child abuse reporting system. The proposal comes after hospital caregivers suspected Olivia's mother of medical abuse but did not alert authorities until after Olivia's death. The task force aims to clarify reporting procedures and ensure timely intervention in cases of suspected abuse.
Read more »
Child Rape Survivor Demands National Inquiry into Child Grooming GANGS in BritainA victim of a Pakistani child rape grooming gang, Elizabeth Harper, joined Nigel Farage and Reform UK to demand a national public inquiry into the abuse of young girls in Britain. She accused authorities of ignoring the sexual exploitation committed against her and others by Pakistani-heritage men in Rotherham, details the abuse she endured, and criticizes the government's refusal to hold a focused inquiry into this issue.
Read more »
Man Out on Bond for Child Sex Charges Faces New Rape and Child Abuse Material ChargesJalan Christopher Lewis, a 30-year-old man out on bond for previous child sex charges, has been arrested again on new charges including second-degree rape and production of child sexual abuse material. The West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force made the arrest after discovering Lewis had solicited and met with a minor for sex multiple times while out on bond for previous charges.
Read more »