Council Speaker Adrienne Adams in her State of the City address on Tuesday is expected to announce a plan to increase access to affordable child care amid growing fear the high costs are driving families from New York, the Daily News has learned.
During this year’s speech at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Adams, who is considering a run for mayor, will outline a proposal to expand the income eligibility for families to qualify for child care subsidies.
Currently, a family may qualify for assistance if they make below 85% of the State Median Income — less than $109,000 for a family of four. The speaker’s proposal would expand eligibility to 100% of the State Median Income, or up to $128,000 for a family of the same size, a Council source said.
“Making child care more affordable to a greater number of working families in our city is a critical priority for our communities and economy,” Adams said in a statement to The News. “If we are truly committed to keeping families here and helping them thrive, then we must pursue solutions that strengthen access to child care.”
Under the plan, the city would offset half of the cost of child care for families in the higher income bracket, while parents would continue to be responsible for the other half. The subsidy would cover about $12,000 per child each year.
The vouchers for lower-income families would continue to help them cover most, if not all, of the cost of care.
The Council estimates the expansion could benefit another 1,750 infants and toddlers, if the current rate of participation in the voucher program holds.
The speaker’s annual speech comes as New York reckons with a child care affordability crisis that is driving young families to leave the city.
In interviews with The News, parents have repeatedly expressed a desire to remain in the city, but a struggle to make ends meet while waiting for public school. For children too young to qualify for the city’s universal pre-K programs, parents can shell out $24,000 each year on the private centers, according to Department of Labor data.
For a family in the newly eligible income bracket, that amounts to about a fifth of their annual income — making it difficult to afford care and the city’s soaring rental prices without sacrificing other basic living expenses. The federal guideline for child care affordability is 7%.
The Council has repeatedly sparred with Mayor Adams over his handling of the city’s early childhood system, particularly over cuts to pre-K programs for 3-year-olds.
A crowded field of mayoral challengers that Speaker Adams, who created a fundraising committee last week, could soon join has also seized on the issue, recognizing a weakness in the mayor’s re-election campaign as the result of unpopular budget cuts.
Adams has consistently defended his record as mayor, insisting it was necessary to right-size 3-K and invest in more opportunities for infants and toddlers. During his tenure, City Hall launched an online child care application system known as MyCity and dramatically reduced copays for the lowest income families.
According to the latest mayor’s management report, child care voucher enrollment currently stands at 79,500, or 21% higher in the first several months of this fiscal year than last.
City Hall did not immediately return a request for comment.
