State and federal officials are continuing to lobby for more money for child care in the federal COVID relief bill being negotiated in Congress. During a stop in Syracuse Friday, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul said funding for child care is needed now more than ever.
Just under 50% of the daycare centers in Onondaga County have closed since the pandemic struck central New York, according to Lori Schakow, executive director of Child Care Solutions. And the ones that are still operating, mostly the family daycare businesses, are operating at reduced capacity.
"Everybody’s trying to follow the CDC and governor’s guidelines about smaller group sizes, and things like that. It means less revenue coming in and far more expenses because they have to purchase things like PPE and room dividers to keep children safe while they’re napping."
Schukow said including $50 billion in child care funding from the federal government is key to keeping child care options open. So Gillibrand is pushing for more money for daycare to be included in the COVID relief package under discussion now in Washington.
"It would provide $50 billion in grant funding to cover those new costs. And make rent, mortgage and utility payments so they can keep their doors open," said Gillibrand. "And it will ensure that providers will continue to pay employees and offset childcare costs for many families."
Gillibrand and Hochul are crossing the state, trying to get support for the funding, which Gillibrand said has ballooned from $7 billion in the bill approved by the House for child care to $50 billion.
"I think the fact that the House wrote their bill in May is the difference," she said. "We have not seen the kind of recovery we need. And we need to see people go back to work safely. And without money and resources for childcare, that’s not going to be possible."
