WXXI News | By Jeremy Moule
Published December 6, 2024

Monroe County families approved to receive state childcare subsidies shouldn’t have to reapply every year for what already is an underutilized program, advocates say.

The program currently limits eligibility to one year before families have to reapply. But New York state has given counties the option to extend that eligibility window to two years. And The Children’s Agenda, an organization that advocates for children and families, is urging Monroe County to do just that.

“We urge Monroe County to adopt two-year eligibility as it will help the underutilization of the program by reducing the paperwork burden for families and again, ensuring fewer gaps in benefits,” Eamonn Scanlon, the organization’s director of community impact, said during a hearing on Monroe County Executive Adam Bello’s 2025 proposed county budget.

Scanlon was the only speaker during Thursday’s hearing. He said 56% of all Monroe County children under 13 are eligible for the subsidies. But The Children’s Agenda conducted a “scientifically representative” poll of 600 Monroe County parents, he said, and found that only 16% of them believed they were eligible for the child care subsidies, and only 37% had heard of the program.

Those results, he continued, show that the county should better market the program — which is open to families making less than 85% of the state median income. A household of four would be eligible if its monthly income is below $9,052.

The Children’s Agenda had two other recommendations for the county budget. The first was to address staffing levels at the Department of Human Services.

“The Children’s Agenda has also heard complaints in the community about timely access to benefits, including child care assistance,” Scanlon said. “We recommend increasing staffing in the Department of Human Services to fill these needs.”

The organization also is urging the county to start a children’s savings account program, where at birth, children would receive a savings account with seed money in it and there would be equity bonuses for disadvantaged households.

Scanlon urged the county to work with the city of Rochester on such an effort. The city’s Office of Financial Empowerment is developing a program to give every child entering kindergarten in the city a small savings account. The youths would be able to earn bonuses by participating in certain activities and programs.

Bello has proposed a $1.5 billion spending plan that is 5% larger than the current county budget. But if it passes, the average county property tax rate would be $6.03 per $1,000 assessed value, a decrease of 62 cents, or 9%, from the 2024 rate.

Legislators will vote on the budget during their Dec. 10 meeting.

Original article: https://www.wxxinews.org/local-news/2024-12-06/childrens-advocates-urge-monroe-county-to-extend-eligibility-period-for-child-care-subsidies