Politics & Government

Mayor's Prelim Budget Cuts 680 Child Care Slots in Bed-Stuy

Eliminating child care could lead to unemployment for parents who must stay home to take care of their children

As many as 17,000 child care slots in New York City will be eliminated, impacting 3,500 families in Brooklyn, if Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed budget cut is passed.

Bedford-Stuyvesant would be one of the most heavily impacted neighborhoods in the city, losing over 680 slots.

The cuts come mainly through a reduction of staff in the Administration for Children's Services department. This downsizing in the number of available caretakers will have a dramatic impact on the number of children each day care can serve.

Find out what's happening in Bed-Stuywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The proposed elimination of child care slots in the mayor’s Preliminary Budget would disproportionately affect communities of color and communities with significant pockets of poverty.

Child care advocates say eliminating the option will lead to unemployment for parents who received child care subsidies and who must stay home to take care of their children.

Find out what's happening in Bed-Stuywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Assemblyman Al Vann calls the move a contradiction to the mayor’s cries for improving education for New York City’s children.

“The mayor’s proposal to eliminate nearly 17,000 child care slots is unacceptable. It is a complete contradiction for the mayor to speak about prioritizing education while taking away this critical resource from thousands of families,” said Vann.

“Our children cannot afford to lose this early education opportunity and working parents cannot afford to lose this service.”  

The City Council has between now and the summer to come up with $20 million for the subsidies.


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