A Bold Vision: New York Aims to Make Child Care worldwide
Table of Contents
- 1. A Bold Vision: New York Aims to Make Child Care worldwide
- 2. With the proposed increase in funding for child care facilities, how can the state of New York ensure that these funds are distributed equitably across all regions, notably addressing the needs of “child care deserts”?
- 3. New York’s Bold Vision: A conversation with Russell Weaver on Worldwide Child Care
- 4. Building Blocks: Addressing Child Care Access
- 5. investment: Striking the right Balance
- 6. Economic Impact: A Powerful Multiplier
- 7. Navigating the Path to Universal Care
- 8. Maintaining Diversity: A Crucial Consideration
During her recent State of the State address, Governor Kathy Hochul outlined an ambitious plan to make New York a leader in early childhood education by reaching towards universal child care.
This initiative,a cornerstone of the Governor’s “Affordability agenda,” will also see the implementation of a middle-class tax cut,universal free school meals,and a tripled child tax credit.
“I want to partner with the legislature put our State on a pathway toward universal child care,”
Governor hochul stated, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in achieving this ambitious goal. To kickstart this endeavor, Hochul is proposing a substantial investment of over $100 million in capital grants aimed at improving and expanding child care facilities across the state.
These grants, focused on construction and renovation, are expected to address a pressing need: “location is huge,” explains Russell Weaver, Research Director for the Cornell ILR Buffalo.He points out the prevalence of “child care deserts” throughout the state, particularly in areas with lower population density. Increased funding for construction aligns with this reality, signaling a commitment to overcoming access barriers. While positive, some experts suggest a larger investment is needed. “The construction grants that are being proposed are about $110 million,” Weaver notes. “Just as a comparison for the Buffalo Bills stadium, New York State kicked in about $600 million.” He emphasizes the importance of accurately assessing the investment required to adequately support this crucial industry.
On a positive note, Weaver highlights the significant economic impact of child care: “Our research shows that there’s a big return on investment for child care. It tends to have one of the highest economic multipliers of many industries.” Weaver’s research on a child care desert mapping system, developed with colleagues at Cornell, aims to guide state investments effectively and ensure the affordability of child care.
According to Governor Hochul, the current average cost of child care in New York is a staggering $21,000 per year per family.
To address this financial burden, advocacy groups like New Yorkers United for Child Care have put forth a five-year plan to gradually transition to universal free child care.
Their initial goal, already in progress, is to provide free care for children aged three and up in New York City. While acknowledging this progress, Weaver expresses a measured outlook: “I do think New York State is a leader on this issue, but as a country, we have a very long way to go.”
The path to universal child care is complex, with careful consideration needed to ensure existing providers are not displaced. “It’s really hard to say [when it’ll happen],there are a lot of moving parts,” Weaver explains.He highlights the importance of maintaining a diverse landscape of child care options, “We don’t want to push any current providers out of that landscape and consolidate, say, around schools and have childcare just be part of that system. That diversity, I think, is important to a lot of parents to be able to send a child to a family provider, for example. So there needs to be a way to figure out how to square that circle and perhaps absorb that landscape…that diverse landscape of providers, but from a public or state-owned viewpoint.”
With the proposed increase in funding for child care facilities, how can the state of New York ensure that these funds are distributed equitably across all regions, notably addressing the needs of “child care deserts”?
New York’s Bold Vision: A conversation with Russell Weaver on Worldwide Child Care
Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent State of the State address outlined an aspiring plan to make New York a leader in early childhood education by moving towards universal child care. This initiative, a cornerstone of the Governor’s “Affordability agenda,” will also see the implementation of a middle-class tax cut, universal free school meals, and a tripled child tax credit.
To discuss this groundbreaking proposal, Archyde spoke with Russell Weaver, Research Director for the Cornell ILR Buffalo.
Building Blocks: Addressing Child Care Access
Governor Hochul emphasized the importance of collaboration in achieving this ambitious goal. To kickstart this endeavor, Hochul is proposing a substantial investment of over $100 million in capital grants aimed at improving and expanding child care facilities across the state. These grants, focused on construction and renovation, are expected to address a pressing need: “location is huge,” explains Russell Weaver, Research director for the Cornell ILR Buffalo. He points out the prevalence of “child care deserts” throughout the state, particularly in areas with lower population density. Increased funding for construction aligns with this reality, signaling a commitment to overcoming access barriers.
investment: Striking the right Balance
While positive, some experts suggest a larger investment is needed. “The construction grants that are being proposed are about $110 million,” Weaver notes. “Just as a comparison for the Buffalo Bills stadium, New York State kicked in about $600 million.” He emphasizes the importance of accurately assessing the investment required to adequately support this crucial industry.
Economic Impact: A Powerful Multiplier
on a positive note, weaver highlights the critically important economic impact of child care: “Our research shows that there’s a big return on investment for child care. It tends to have one of the highest economic multipliers of many industries.” Weaver’s research on a child care desert mapping system, developed with colleagues at Cornell, aims to guide state investments effectively and ensure the affordability of child care.
According to Governor Hochul, the current average cost of child care in new York is a staggering $21,000 per year per family. To address this financial burden, advocacy groups like New Yorkers United for Child Care have put forth a five-year plan to gradually transition to universal free child care. Their initial goal, already in progress, is to provide free care for children aged three and up in New York City. While acknowledging this progress, Weaver expresses a measured outlook: “I do think new York State is a leader on this issue, but as a country, we have a very long way to go.”
Maintaining Diversity: A Crucial Consideration
The path to universal child care is complex, with careful consideration needed to ensure existing providers are not displaced. “Its really hard to say [when it’ll happen],there are a lot of moving parts,” Weaver explains.He highlights the importance of maintaining a diverse landscape of child care options, “We don’t want to push any current providers out of that landscape and consolidate, say, around schools and have childcare just be part of that system. That diversity, I think, is important to a lot of parents to be able to send a child to a family provider, such as. So there needs to be a way to figure out how to square that circle and perhaps absorb that landscape…that diverse landscape of providers,but from a public or state-owned viewpoint.”
Governor Hochul’s vision for universal child care in New York is ambitious, yet achievable. what steps do you think are crucial for ensuring this vision becomes a reality?
