Fighting For Access to Child Care and Pre-K

There’s nothing more important than giving our children a strong foundation to learn and grow, and providing families with the support they need along the way is a critical part of making that happen. Yet, far too many hardworking individuals struggle to keep up with skyrocketing child care costs, while Long Island’s lottery system prevents many children from attending pre-K. As a mother, I know that early childhood education services are the foundation for a bright future for both our children and our communities at large. That’s why I’m fighting to secure funding that will help families get ahead and ensure our young minds are given an equal opportunity to succeed.

The exorbitantly high cost of child care prevents many working families with young children from gaining economic security. In fact, nine out of 10 families struggle to afford quality child care, forcing many parents and guardians to reduce their work hours or even leave their jobs altogether. To make matters worse, the number of child care providers is dwindling, as many are having difficulty keeping their staff and meeting the rising costs of providing quality care. Parents deserve to have the peace of mind that their child is in good hands while they’re at work, but instead they’re running out of options and being forced to sacrifice their careers.

New York State prides itself as being a leader in economic development and has long been fighting to break barriers to ensure individuals from all walks of life can succeed in the workforce. It’s imperative we continue to uphold these values by increasing funding for the state child care subsidy program, which would allow us to expand eligibility to more working families and reduce copays so that they’re fair and uniform across the state. This way, we can give families the financial relief they desperately need, while also improving the productivity of our workforce and make balancing work and family more feasible for parents.

Studies show that the first three years of a child’s life are incredibly important to their brain development, which is why access to pre-K programs should be universal, not reserved for just the lucky few. Four out of five children – with the exception of those in New York City – lack access to full-day pre-K programs and, on Long Island, this is primarily due to the lottery system in place that permits only half of our school districts to offer pre-K. Early childhood education is fundamental to a student’s future academic success, and oftentimes, those who participate in quality pre-K programs are at a greater advantage of attending college and landing high-paying jobs.

A child’s ZIP code shouldn’t dictate whether or not they can take advantage of these educational opportunities during some of the most transformative years of their life. I’m committed to making universal pre-K a reality in New York State and fighting for more state funding in order to expand access to 15,000 preschoolers. I’ve also been advocating for the creation of a Regional Pre-K Technical Assistance Center on Long Island, as well as an increase in reimbursement rates for pre-K special education programs. In addition, I’m calling on the state to increase pre-K funding for school districts where 50% or more of the total student body are eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch.

The future of our state depends on how we foster the young minds of today, and investing in child care and pre-K programs will go a long way toward making Long Island a better and more equitable place to live, work and raise a family. I’ll continue fighting to bring these critical programs within reach for all working families.

My office is here to help. If you have questions or concerns about this or any other community issue, please don’t hesitate to contact me at 631-957-2087 or JeanPierreK@nyassembly.gov.