Proper now, mother and father of two-year-olds in New York Metropolis are dealing with an inconceivable actuality: the common price of kid take care of a two-year-old is $23,000 a yr. To afford care on the advisable 7% of family earnings, a household must earn $334,000 yearly. Merely put, the numbers don’t add up for a majority of New Yorkers. That is why we’re preventing for 2-Care: an enlargement of New York Metropolis’s common and profitable Pre-Ok for All and 3-Ok packages to incorporate two-year-olds
Admittedly, challenges stay within the 3-Ok system, stemming from annual cuts and lack of prioritization from the Adams administration. Final yr, many mother and father obtained 3-Ok seats that had been too distant from their house or had already paid hundreds of {dollars} in deposits for personal care by the point they had been referred to as off the waitlist. On high of this, early childhood educators are underpaid and that has led to recruitment and retention challenges for these key roles. Given all this, some might ask: why push for little one take care of two-year-olds when 3-Ok isn’t in excellent form? The reply is easy—New York’s households can’t afford to attend. Our battle isn’t about selecting between fixing what exists and increasing to extra households; it’s about doing each.
New York’s little one care disaster isn’t new, however it’s getting worse. Dad and mom of two-year-olds have reached a breaking level–pressured to decide on between paying for little one care they can not afford or leaving the workforce solely. The excessive prices are inflicting ripple results throughout the financial system. In 2022, New York Metropolis misplaced $23 billion in financial exercise because of the lack of reasonably priced little one care, and more and more households are taking a 3rd path: leaving New York Metropolis solely. Dad and mom with kids below six are twice as prone to depart the town in comparison with different residents.
It’s time to demand what we deserve. The answer is evident: New York Metropolis should commit to creating 2-Care a actuality. Which means increasing free little one care to all two-year-olds simply as we did for Pre-Ok and 3-Ok. We are able to begin by changing current, licensed capability that serves two-year-olds via a fee-for-service, immediately establishing free, Metropolis-funded 2-Care packages throughout the town whereas starting to construct out new capability as effectively. Within the meantime, we are able to repair the failings in our present childcare system for three-year-olds and keep away from setting two-year-old care up for a similar challenges by making certain everlasting and steady funding for full-day packages. We are able to make sure that mother and father are conscious of the choices obtainable to them by reinstating essential outreach efforts. In an effort to be sure that we recruit and retain one of the best employees, we are able to assist little one care suppliers with truthful wages and funding to make sure a powerful, steady workforce.
Ready to repair each problem in 3-Ok earlier than increasing entry to little one care can be a mistake. Historical past has proven us that one of the simplest ways to construct robust public methods is thru continued funding and enlargement—not by ready till each single piece is ideal. We fought for common Pre-Ok and 3-Ok whereas stabilizing current little one care packages. Now, we should do the identical for 2-Care.
We can not afford to attend. Dad and mom want little one care now. New York’s future will depend on it.
