Urgent Call to Preserve Childcare Vouchers for 60,000 Children

Nearly 50 state and city council members are urging the Albany government to preserve childcare vouchers as the deadline for the state budget approaches, including Brooklyn’s Chinese-American city councilor Susan Zhuang. The officials warn that without substantial funding from the state of New York, over 60,000 children from 4,000 to 7,000 families will be at risk of losing their childcare vouchers.

While Governor Hochu’s annual budget maintains a total of $1.8 billion for childcare subsidies, it does not allocate additional funds to meet the growing demand. Experts estimate that at least another $900 million needs to be invested in the childcare subsidy program to ensure that existing families can continue to receive assistance and to accommodate more children in need.

According to data from the Children’s Services Administration, the number of recipients of childcare vouchers has been steadily increasing since the outbreak of the pandemic. One reason for this is that the state government has expanded eligibility criteria, allowing families with incomes below 85% of the median in their area (about $108,000 annual income for a family of four) to apply. Additionally, this summer, the conditions for resuming government benefits that were interrupted during the pandemic (such as the requirement to work or provide proof of actively job searching) will encourage tens of thousands of low-income families to re-enter the workforce, relying on childcare subsidies.

Another factor is the ongoing increase in the cost of childcare. Zhuang remarked, “As a mother, I am well aware of the staggering cost of childcare. It is a necessary expense, but many New Yorkers are unable to both feed themselves and take care of their children, which is why we need to preserve these vouchers to help our families and children.”

Zhuang has signed a letter initiated by City Councilors Althea Stevens and Lincoln Restler, urging the state of New York to allocate the necessary budget funds to allow these families to retain their vouchers, with many state legislators joining the call for action.

Childcare advocacy groups have also warned that without increasing the budget, many parents will be forced to stop working and childcare centers will be forced to close.

Failure to supplement the budget will result in many families facing the risk of being disqualified when their qualifications are reviewed from April, leading to more families potentially moving out of New York. The trend of loss of middle and low-income families would exacerbate, impacting the entire labor market.

The state budget plan, originally set to be announced today (April 1st), has been delayed.