Monroe County child care victory for children and low-income families

In support of the 2,000 families and 4,000 children helped, The Children’s Agenda supports County Executive Dinolfo’s announced reduction in parent co-payments for subsidized child care.   Reducing the County’s requirement to pay 35% of income above poverty down to 25% is an important step in the right direction of affordability and quality care.

The Children’s Agenda has urged the County to make this change, particularly after the County submitted its 5-year Child & Family Service plan to New York State last year, and hopes County leaders will ultimately lower the required parent contribution to 20%.  In a recent blog post on this subject, TCA’s Director of Policy Pete Nabozny reports that a Monroe County family would pay $3,745 more in annual fees than a comparable Livingston County family where the charge is only 10%, compared to Monroe County formerly charging the highest allowable parent fee at 35%.

Higher parent co-pays defeat the purpose of assisting low-income working families with child care, which is to help them stay in the workforce and improve family income.  Some families eligible for assistance decline because they can’t afford the co-pay and choose to either leave the workforce entirely or place their children in less expensive, potentially substandard care.

The Children’s Agenda hopes the County promotes and markets this change strongly and widely across our community to ensure that all eligible families are aware that high quality child care is now more affordable, resulting in safer and more stimulating care for children and peace of mind for working parents.

Read the full story from WXXI by clicking here.