Supporting network child care providers

WHEREAS Family Child Care (FCC) providers who act as participants and/or subcontractors with networks do so in order to help address the needs and concerns of poor and working families in their communities; and

WHEREAS both the city Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) and the networks have a duty to promote self-sufficiency among families in need of subsidized child care and the qualified home child care providers who meet that need, given that both groups often are comprised of low-income individuals; and

WHEREAS the ACS and the networks have a responsibility to help low-income and public assistance families avoid having to make difficult choices between placing their children in unsafe or inappropriate child care settings or leaving jobs or training programs, thereby losing their employment income and being forced to seek public assistance again; and

WHEREAS FCC network providers help promote financial independence by offering subsidized child care for low-income families and families on public assistance, making it possible for parents and guardians to pursue gainful employment outside their homes; and

WHEREAS FCC network providers are an integral part of New York State’s payment framework that allows qualifying child care providers to offer sufficient quantity, quality and choice of providers for parents; therefore be it

RESOLVED that the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) initiate and support efforts to ensure that child care providers receive timely compensation with appropriate year-end tax statements; and be it further

RESOLVED that the UFT oppose blatant non-payment of compensation, unfair administration fees, poor program support services and any type of discrimination directed at network providers; and be it further

RESOLVED that the UFT act to ensure that both the ACS and provider networks comply with federal laws ensuring parents’ rights to make child care decisions that best suit their family’s needs; and be it further

RESOLVED that the UFT support best practices in networks that assist in providing child care to parents trying to become independent of public assistance.