NEW YORK—Over 100 elected officials, parents, and day care workers rallied at Bowling Green before continuing to march to City Hall on Wednesday morning, demanding Mayor Michael Bloomberg prevent the closing of 15 day care centers on July 1, 2011.
More than a dozen council members spoke at the event, stressing the importance of these child care centers in servicing the parents who work during the day and educating young children.
“We all know that the city is in a very difficult economic situation, but providing day care services for our children should be a priority and we have to come together to continue to fight,” said Brooklyn Councilman Mathieu Eugene. “If we want to create leaders for tomorrow, we have to save our day care.”
The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) provides subsidized services for children ranging from six weeks to 12 years of age from eligible families within a specified income bracket.
ACS had proposed closing 15 day care centers at the mayor’s preliminary 2011 budget hearing in March. The cut services were estimated to be worth $9 million for the 2011 fiscal year and over $16 million for 2012.
“In the midst of an economic crisis, we have had to make many difficult decisions in response to declining resources while facing increased costs and a rise in our mandated population,” stated an ACS statement.
The centers in question make up a total of 1,200 seats, 753 of which are currently filled with enrolled children.
The ACS said that it will provide an alternative seat or a child care voucher to the enrolled children. According to the agency’s budget documentation, however, transition of these children to other centers and the timeline for parents’ receipt of the vouchers are not yet determined.
Michael Fagan, a spokesman for ACS, said that their “protocol is that we work with parents to identify vacant seats in ACS-contracted centers in the vicinity of the center being closed or where parents work to ensure children currently being served do not lose service.”
Of the 15 day care centers slated for closing, Brooklyn will take the biggest hit with 10 centers. Two facilities in Manhattan and three in Queens will also be closed.
Councilwoman Leticia James noted that the majority of the Brooklyn centers to be closed serve children from low-income families and those of color.
The budget documentation reveals that the centers being cut were judged upon the condition of the facility, the price of the lease, as well as the number of vacancies.
ACS says that “its goal was to maintain capacity in the form of subsidies, even though the elimination of facilities was necessary.”
The agency will have around $51 million less at their disposal in 2011 compared to the previous year.
Protesters assert that the federal stimulus money for child care is enough to keep the centers open. According to the New York State Office of Children & Family Services, the city received over $29 million in federal funds as part of the Child Care Block Grant to be used between October 2009 and March 2011.
The preliminary budget for ACS shows that $10.5 million of the grant money will be used to prevent closure of approximately 93 child care classrooms that were put on the chopping block in 2010, with the remainder reserved for vouchers and Family Day Care Network providers for children from low-income families.
The majority of ACS day care services are through contracts with private and non-profit organizations operating various child care programs.
Linda Peterson, who has worked in day care for the past 25 years, urged parents to call 311 and express their concern regarding center closings and impact thereof on early education.
“It starts with us,” she said.
Sharon Paye, director of Soundview Child Care Center in the Bronx, said that child care teachers are certified educators with degrees in education, noting that they are not a babysitting service.
“We live in a technical society now [and] the only way our children are being taught how to socialize is when they’re in those classes,” she said. “They learn to speak to each other. They learn that when you step on my toe, I don’t have to pull out a gun and shoot you. They learn that you can say, ‘Excuse me,’ ‘May I please,’ ‘Thank you.’”
“A little boy holding a baby doll teaches that child that when he grows up he’s going to be a good father that nurtures his child. Let’s look at early learning as an educational institution,” continued Paye.
In a prepared press statement, protesters said that there are plenty of children to fill center slots, with many centers having nearly 100 children on their waiting lists.
“[Saving the centers] is going to make our society stronger, it’s going to make the city stronger for generations to come,” said Councilman Stephen Levin from Brooklyn.
Also taking a cut are the day care center renovations, with ACS planning to cut an estimated $2 million worth of these services.
More than a dozen council members spoke at the event, stressing the importance of these child care centers in servicing the parents who work during the day and educating young children.
“We all know that the city is in a very difficult economic situation, but providing day care services for our children should be a priority and we have to come together to continue to fight,” said Brooklyn Councilman Mathieu Eugene. “If we want to create leaders for tomorrow, we have to save our day care.”
The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) provides subsidized services for children ranging from six weeks to 12 years of age from eligible families within a specified income bracket.
ACS had proposed closing 15 day care centers at the mayor’s preliminary 2011 budget hearing in March. The cut services were estimated to be worth $9 million for the 2011 fiscal year and over $16 million for 2012.
“In the midst of an economic crisis, we have had to make many difficult decisions in response to declining resources while facing increased costs and a rise in our mandated population,” stated an ACS statement.
The centers in question make up a total of 1,200 seats, 753 of which are currently filled with enrolled children.
The ACS said that it will provide an alternative seat or a child care voucher to the enrolled children. According to the agency’s budget documentation, however, transition of these children to other centers and the timeline for parents’ receipt of the vouchers are not yet determined.
Michael Fagan, a spokesman for ACS, said that their “protocol is that we work with parents to identify vacant seats in ACS-contracted centers in the vicinity of the center being closed or where parents work to ensure children currently being served do not lose service.”
Of the 15 day care centers slated for closing, Brooklyn will take the biggest hit with 10 centers. Two facilities in Manhattan and three in Queens will also be closed.
Councilwoman Leticia James noted that the majority of the Brooklyn centers to be closed serve children from low-income families and those of color.
The budget documentation reveals that the centers being cut were judged upon the condition of the facility, the price of the lease, as well as the number of vacancies.
ACS says that “its goal was to maintain capacity in the form of subsidies, even though the elimination of facilities was necessary.”
The agency will have around $51 million less at their disposal in 2011 compared to the previous year.
Protesters assert that the federal stimulus money for child care is enough to keep the centers open. According to the New York State Office of Children & Family Services, the city received over $29 million in federal funds as part of the Child Care Block Grant to be used between October 2009 and March 2011.
The preliminary budget for ACS shows that $10.5 million of the grant money will be used to prevent closure of approximately 93 child care classrooms that were put on the chopping block in 2010, with the remainder reserved for vouchers and Family Day Care Network providers for children from low-income families.
The majority of ACS day care services are through contracts with private and non-profit organizations operating various child care programs.
Linda Peterson, who has worked in day care for the past 25 years, urged parents to call 311 and express their concern regarding center closings and impact thereof on early education.
“It starts with us,” she said.
Sharon Paye, director of Soundview Child Care Center in the Bronx, said that child care teachers are certified educators with degrees in education, noting that they are not a babysitting service.
“We live in a technical society now [and] the only way our children are being taught how to socialize is when they’re in those classes,” she said. “They learn to speak to each other. They learn that when you step on my toe, I don’t have to pull out a gun and shoot you. They learn that you can say, ‘Excuse me,’ ‘May I please,’ ‘Thank you.’”
“A little boy holding a baby doll teaches that child that when he grows up he’s going to be a good father that nurtures his child. Let’s look at early learning as an educational institution,” continued Paye.
In a prepared press statement, protesters said that there are plenty of children to fill center slots, with many centers having nearly 100 children on their waiting lists.
“[Saving the centers] is going to make our society stronger, it’s going to make the city stronger for generations to come,” said Councilman Stephen Levin from Brooklyn.
Also taking a cut are the day care center renovations, with ACS planning to cut an estimated $2 million worth of these services.
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