When my two boys were younger, one of my biggest worries — and frustrations — was finding safe and dependable child care that my wife and I could trust and afford.
It’s been many years since I’ve had to think about these challenges, but I remember them well: can I afford child care this month? Are my kids in a nurturing environment while I’m at work? Are they making friends, and will they be safe? Are their minds being stimulated, and are they bonding with their adult caregivers?
For many, these worries are now magnified by the city’s looming threat to cut $263 million in funding to its Early Childhood Education system.
These proposed cuts come at a difficult moment. New York City is in the grips of an historic affordability crisis. Things are so tough that the costs of food, housing, and child care are causing some middle-income families to flee the city altogether. Life is even more challenging for the 23% of New Yorkers who live in poverty who don’t have the option to relocate.
Despite the pandemic jobs recovery, Black workers continue to struggle. The unemployment gap between white and black New Yorkers remains at historic highs.
A decade ago, New York City set out on an audacious mission: to make the city more affordable for tens of thousands of parents by rolling out the nation’s largest free, full-day pre-K program. We offered a seat to every four-year-old whose parents wanted one. And we began to expand the program to 3-year-olds with the creation of 3-K.
The city opened seats in every neighborhood and built an outreach team that helped parents across the city to enroll. And most critically, we focused on quality: training teachers, developing curriculum, and ensuring safety.
The programs help meet two critical needs. First, quality early childhood programs like child care, 3-K, and pre-K allow our youngest children to have a strong start during these critical early years, when brains are developing at an extraordinary rate and investments in education and care can have an outsized long-term impact. Indeed, research by Nobel laureate Professor James Heckman demonstrates that a $1 investment in quality early education yields approximately $8.60 in benefits to society.
Second, free and subsidized early childhood programs make child care affordable, increasing employment and lifetime earnings for mothers especially. According to Mayor Adams’ Blueprint for Child Care and Early Education, parents without affordable child care are less likely to work or pursue an education, at a severe cost not only to their pocketbooks, but to the city’s economy.
The city lost an estimated $23 billion in economic output in 2022 from parents who had to reduce their working hours or leave the workforce altogether. Additionally, the city lost $2.2 billion in tax revenues.
Expanding programs like 3-K and pre-K represent a bold declaration that New York City puts families first. It tells parents: we want you to stay in New York City, raise your children and thrive here.
The mayor has reiterated that affordable child care is essential for our present and future. We know his commitment is real, and his administration has made significant progress in expanding care options for infants and toddlers in particular.
Robin Hood is proud to partner with the administration in this mission. Together, we launched the Child Care Quality and Innovation Initiative, a $100 million public-private effort to expand access, increase enrollment in subsidized programs, and ensure more children benefit from quality services.
However, the mayor’s proposal to cut the early childhood education budget threatens these goals. When affordable and high-quality programs are available close to home, parents will use them. Data from Robin Hood’s Poverty Tracker reveals that mothers living in parts of the city with 3-K seats were more likely to work full-time than mothers living in neighborhoods without them.
Where child care seats are not being utilized, as is true for some programs, the city should invest the resources to ensure that families know they exist and understand how to enroll.
Money is tight for the city; especially as federal stimulus funds expire and the costs of supporting migrants continue. We have tough choices to make. But there can be no better investment than helping children learn and parents work. And we can afford it. Fortunately, the city’s recent financial projections show better-than-expected revenues and lower-than-expected expenses.
Now is the time to recommit to families, parents, caregivers, and our children. Let’s hope the mayor and the City Council will make the right choice and give families the child care they need and deserve.
Buery is CEO of Robin Hood, NYC’s largest poverty-fighting philanthropy.
