Calls Intensify to Halt County Exec’s Child Care Cuts
Westchester County Legislator Alfreda Williams, state Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins and other officials teamed up with child care advocates last week to blast County Executive Rob Astorino’s recent attempt to increase parents’ contribution for child care.
At a press conference at the Lois Bronz Children’s Center last Thursday afternoon in White Plains, Williams was among those who harshly protested the rise in the parents’ portion for subsidized child care from 20 to 35 percent for families to send their children to day care around the county starting Nov. 1. Currently, the family share cost is $178 a month. If Astorino’s plan goes through, that monthly cost would rise to $311.
While Williams said that the increase would hurt every working family, it would particularly cripple low-income families, many of which are working single mothers. For a family that makes only $25,000 to $30,000 a year, Williams said the consequences could be a “huge hardship.”
With only about 10 weeks remaining in the current year’s budget, Williams said the decision seems to be “a cruel, mean spirited way to punish working mothers in Westchester County.”
“It makes for the difference between a parent being able to afford to go to work and rely on safe child care programs or being on public assistance,” Williams declared. “This is not right for Westchester County.”
Stewart-Cousins spoke of the importance of affordable child care when she was a single working mother. She said that it’s important to recognize that without affordable child care, many parents would have to cease working.
“Had there not been day care, I doubt frankly whether I would be a senator,” Stewart-Cousins said. “Because I would not have been able to work.”
Stewart-Cousins says she is confident the matter can be resolved with a new budget plan starting next year.
Dr. J. Michael Rush, executive director of the Lois Bronz Children’s Center, estimated that the hike would affect 40 families and 150 children who attend the White Plains facility. With fewer families sending their children to the center, Rush said staff layoffs are also a possibility.
Increasing the parents’ contribution could also lead to more layoffs. There are about 750 child care businesses in Westchester that employ thousands of people, Child Care Council Executive Director Kathy Halas said.
She also said the issue doesn’t only affect programs serving urban, low-income families.
Halas said that in 2006, she and other child care advocates were able to document that the contribution was unaffordable for many. At the time, families were charged 33 percent of the cost. After several years of lowering the expense, Halas said there has been a “steady erosion” of that support.
“What’s on the chopping block now is even more serious,” she said.
Williams said that the county’s Social Services Department has a surplus of $7 million, but Astorino wants to wait and see how to spread the money out following the changes.
Legislator MaryJane Shimsky said she has no idea why Astorino, a Republican, wants to make the move now. However, since he took office in 2010, he targeted budget cuts for child care and early childhood education, she said. With other budgetary issues, Shimsky said Astorino’s stance has usually been to wait until the end of the year until any changes are made.
Ultimately, Williams hopes the county executive understands the plight some families face.
“You need to hear this because these people vote and we want very definitely to make sure that they get out and vote in November of this year, 2012,” Williams said. “But most assuredly in November of 2013 when you’re up for re-election.”
