Child Care Council of Suffolk Director Named to NYS Task Force

Child Care Council of Suffolk Executive Director Jennifer Marino Rojas has been named by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to serve on the Child Care Availability Task Force. Established earlier this year as part of the Governor’s 2018 Women’s Agenda, the task force assembles a group of experts focused on developing innovative solutions that will improve access to quality, affordable child care in New York. “I am honored to be serving on the Governor’s Child Care Availability Task Force. Access to affordable child care is essential for the economic security of Long Island’s working families, and the well-being of all of our children. This is an opportunity to implement innovative and comprehensive changes that will meaningfully and equitably expand access to the thousands of New York families that need it,” stated Centerport resident Rojas.

The task force held its first meeting on December 13, 2018. "Every parent should be able to go to work without worrying if their children are getting the care they deserve," Governor Cuomo said. "Affordable and high-quality child care is not only vital for working families, it's also essential to strengthening our state's economy and by continuing to create these opportunities for parents to succeed in both work and family life we are building a stronger New York for all."

The Child Care Availability Task Force is comprised of representatives from the child care provider community, the advocacy community, representatives of the business community, unions that represent child care providers, representatives from several state agencies and local departments of social services. The task force will examine access to affordable child care, the availability of child care for parents with non-traditional work hours, statutory and regulatory changes that could promote or enhance access to child care, business incentives to increase child care access, and the impact on tax credits and deductions relating to child care. The task force is expected to share its initial recommendations with the administration next year and finalize its report by the end of 2020.

About the Child Care Council of Suffolk. Inc.

The Child Care Council of Suffolk is an integral part of the child care industry that strengthens Long Island’s economy by helping families achieve greater economic, personal and social goals. CCCS recently connected close to 2,200 families to child care options and resources and more than 3,500 children to early learning programs. The agency supports and strengthens child care and pre-k programs through assisting with the development and registration of early learning programs and providing professional development and technical assistance to more than 7,000 child care and pre-k teachers each year. In addition, more than 800 graduates of the agency’s innovative Parent Leadership Initiative programs are dedicated to improving and creating caring communities for children in Suffolk and Nassau Counties.