Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF, WE-Sag Harbor) announced that he helped pass legislation that would create a child care availability task force to evaluate child care needs and the availability of affordable day care across New York State A.7726-A.

“There’s no denying it – we’re facing an affordable child care crisis in this state and we need to do something about it fast,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “Families that are already struggling to get by shouldn’t be forced to quit their jobs or send their kids to an unsafe place while they work because they simply can’t afford quality day care. This task force will provide us with the facts and data we need to develop needed reforms to New York’s child care system.”

In New York State, the average annual cost of center-based child care for just one child is $14,144, which is nearly twice as much as a year’s worth of college tuition at SUNY or CUNY schools.¹ New York has the fourth most expensive child care costs in the nation. An average New York family has to spend over 20 percent of its income to pay for child care for a single infant, and that number skyrockets to 38.7 percent to pay for care for both an infant and a 4-year-old.² For single-parent or low-income families, the numbers are even starker. Center-based care for two children accounts for nearly 100 percent of a single parent’s income.³

The members of the child care availability task force would be appointed by the governor, based on recommendations from the Assembly Speaker and Temporary President of the Senate, and would include at least two parents who have utilized subsidized child care to ensure the people most affected by the affordable care crisis are front and center at the table. The task force would be required to report its findings to the Legislature by the end of the year. Issues under the task force’s purview would include access to subsidized child care, the availability of hours outside of the traditional work day and the impact of child care access on employees, economic development and the quality of care.

This legislation builds on the Assembly’s continued efforts to improve access to affordable child care across New York State and ensure our children are protected and on the path to a bright future. The Assembly convened a child care workgroup to make recommendations for tackling the crisis, which resulted in increased investments in subsidized child care slots. Additionally, a law was passed last year to establish the Early Childhood Advisory Council (Ch. 415 of 2016). “There’s much more to be done, though, because a lack of reliable child care affects us all – our kids, our workers and our economy,” noted Assemblyman Thiele.

“Access to affordable child care is essential both for children and their parents,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “Safe, quality care is critical for a child’s early development, and for parents, access to this care allows them to stay in the workforce and ensure their families have food on the table and a roof over their heads. We need to make this legislation law so we can find real solutions to New York’s child care crisis.”

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¹ usa.childcareaware.org/advocacy-public-policy/resources/reports-and-research/costofcare

² epi.org/child-care-costs-in-the-united-states/#/NY

³ usa.childcareaware.org/advocacy-public-policy/resources/reports-and-research/costofcare