7K NYC families could lose child care subsidies each month under state budget plan

Tens of thousands of New York City families would lose their child care vouchers under the state’s proposed budget — a move that advocates say would leave parents unable to work and force day care centers to close their doors.

Lawmakers in Albany, city officials and child care advocates are furiously working to avoid the fiscal cliff that could kick 4,000 to 7,000 families out of the program every month when they are not able to renew their vouchers. The final budget is due Tuesday, April 1.

“We are at a really pivotal moment,” said Dede Hill, policy director at Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy. “It is essential that New York state leaders act to ensure they do not pull the rug out from under families who have built their family budget around child care assistance and programs who have built their business budgets around the Child Care Assistance Program.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed executive budget leaves funding flat at $1.8 billion – with more than half that funding going to families in the five boroughs. But advocates say the child care assistance program needs another $900 million to ensure parents who have vouchers can keep them, and to cover thousands more children expected to need the subsidy this year. Child care costs have been at the center of affordability conversations across the state as reports show most families cannot afford the cost of care and are fleeing the city and state because of it.

Mansie Meikle, who relies on a voucher for after-school care, said the vouchers have been a lifeline.

“I can actually work, not wondering how I’m going to get the kids,” Meikle said. “This is stressing me out just the idea of losing access to that. It’s right back at square one.”