Hi John,

Child Care program providers are being forced to close their doors. Educators are leaving the field for better wages. Parents are quitting their jobs to look after their children. Women, in particular, are being forced to choose between a career and parenthood.

This is the current state of child care in New York, one of the wealthiest states in the country with a surplus of billions of dollars. Our state leaders must take bold action now on behalf of our children by enacting a program for universal child care. Email Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Carl Heastie now urging them to include a $5 billion investment in building a universal child care system for New Yorkers in their budget proposals.

Right now in Albany, the State Assembly and Senate are preparing their proposed budgets for the coming year. Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Carl Heastie are going to be key decision makers not only in what makes it into those proposals, but also in deciding the final budget. Email them now urging them to include a $5 billion investment in building a universal child care system for New Yorkers!

Our current system is failing both providers AND families, and so the solution needs to give families access to free and accessible, quality care; program providers and educators need to be compensated fairly and in accordance with the value that they provide to our communities. In short, we need a universal child care system for New York, and we need it now.

We have the money, now we just need the moral leadership. Email Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Carl Heastie now urging them to include a $5 billion investment in building a universal child care system for New Yorkers in their budget proposals.

In solidarity,

Jasmine Gripper

Alliance for Quality Education