Funding cuts, city child care initiative concern providers

Testifying at a Dec. 12 state hearing, UFT Family Child Care Providers Chapter Chair Tammie Miller made clear her union’s concerns about both funding cuts to early childhood education and a new city initiative, Early Learn NYC, which threatens the livelihood of many of the UFT’s 28,000 providers.

As Miller explained in written testimony submitted to the state Senate’s Standing Committee on Children and Families, early childhood education in the city already suffered a big cut in funding — approximately $40 million — in 2011, putting at risk subsidized services for approximately 10,000 city children. Now, she said, there are rumors that an additional $37 million for early education may be cut from the 2012 state budget alone.

“New Yorkers simply can’t afford any further disinvestment in these programs,” Miller warned. “If we don’t act now, fewer kids will be served, fewer programs will exist and families that are lucky enough to find a provider will be faced with paying higher fees.”

Making the case for the importance of early education, Miller argued that “the work done with a child in his or her early years helps prepare that child for kindergarten and for life.”

An investment in our children, Miller said, “is an investment in the health of our local economy and our communities. Investing in child care is an investment in the infrastructure of our economic future.”

Miller also addressed the city’s controversial Early Learn NYC initiative in her comments, warning that it will hurt home-based providers and violate parent choice.

Under the initiative, children will have to leave home-based care in favor of center-based programs upon reaching the age of four, sharply curtailing home-based providers’ business. Currently, many children remain in full-time home-based care until entering kindergarten.

“During these difficult economic times, we cannot further burden families in need of subsidies or early care workers who are providing for their own families” by either cutting or unfairly restructuring early childhood education services, Miller said.

Read Miller’s full remarks.