New York can make quality child care more affordable by streamlining enrollment in the state’s child care assistance program.

The child care system in New York needs greater public investment to ensure the child care workforce is paid a sustaining wage.

Research indicates that suspensions are ineffective and harmful and that they deepen academic inequities, especially for students of color and students with disabilities.

New York State has drafted a proposal that will be submitted to the US Department of Health and Human Services, requesting flexibility in how it uses Medicaid funds. Known as a “Medicaid waiver,” the proposal includes a request for $13.52 billion to be used over five years. The intent is to design innovative ways of using Medicaid funds that will promote health equity and address health disparities. Despite the fact this waiver is focused on equity, the investments in the current proposal are not aligned with the needs of the poorest and most diverse population of New Yorkers who rely on Medicaid: children.

Rochester’s families deserve pre-kindergarten and kindergarten placements that meet their children’s needs. This report is a first step to better understand parents’ enrollment decision-making and how they experience enrollment policies. The goal is to help the Rochester City School District improve existing policies and processes so families have a better experience with enrollment.

The balance between caring for children and work is a crisis or major problem for 7 out of 10 Monroe County families and 5 out of 10 parents say their stress is high as a result of the pandemic. The stress parents are experiencing has three branches: affording and accessing resources, pandemic disruptions in schools, and mental health impacts of the pandemic.

New York State must devote more resources to strengthening the Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education systems, with a particular focus on eliminating inequities and expanding timely access to services.

There are many challenges plaguing the child care sector in New York State. I will summarize a few in this testimony, and share why my organization and the Empire State Campaign for Child Care believes a $5 billion investment is needed in the 2022-23 state budget.

Affordable, safe, high quality, and nurturing child care is essential for the immediate and future success of New York State. Our goal as a state should be to increase the number of families receiving this critical support, and we should fund services that help us achieve that goal. Readily available child care helps parents remain in the workforce, contributes to economic growth and expands the labor force for employers. It also ensures that children get off to the best possible start to life.