Hi John,

The New York State budget is officially late. Child care, along with countless other critical community investments and key issues, still are in play.

State legislators left Albany for the weekend and won't be back until late Sunday, which means we won't see a final budget before then. But in the meantime, three-way negotiations between the Governor, Senate Majority Leader and Assembly Speaker won't stop, and so neither can we. Help us keep up the pressure throughout the weekend with the action and social media toolkit below!

We will be back on Monday with updates on where things stand — and if there still isn't a budget, more ways to take action.

Take a picture holding a sign saying “NY Needs Universal Child Care” — or if you are a parent yourself, take a photo with your child — and post it to your accounts with why you support universal child care in New York State.

You can use the graphics and sample posts below for inspiration, but feel free to personalize them!  Just be sure to use the hashtag #NYSUniversalChildCare and tag our state leaders to help keep the pressure up as they negotiate through the weekend.

"We support #NYSUniversalChildcare because it will give children across the state access to in person play and allow their parents to work and support their families."

(Left: Jasmine Gripper's nephew Hudson; Right: AQE upstate campaign coordinator Stevie Vargas and her son Peyton)

To use the toolkit below, all you have to do is copy/paste to your account. Or if you have Twitter, it's even easier: just tap or click where it says "click to tweet" and attach your photo.

"I support #NYSUniversalChildCare because it will give children across the state access to in person play and allow their parents to work and support their families."

Click to Tweet

On the path to #NYSUniversalChildCare, we’re committed to prioritizing families and children who have been excluded by our broken child care system for too long. @GovKathyHochul, do not leave New York’s immigrant families behind in this year’s budget! 

Click to Tweet

We need high quality, affordable, accessible childcare for every family, including immigrant families. We need a living wage for the child care workforce, and we need to expand subsidies! It's time for #NYSUniversalChildCare now! @govkathyhochul, @andreascousins, @carlheastie

Click to Tweet

Young children learn best with consistency & stability. Their early childhood education shouldn’t be dependent on the fluctuating work schedules of their parents. @GovKathyHochul, @AndreaSCousins, @CarlHeastie, we can end this unfair practice in the budget! #NYSUniversalChildCare

Click to Tweet 

If child care programs cannot offer competitive wages, we will never have enough care for all of NY’s families who need it. @GovKathyHochul, @AndreaSCousins, and @CarlHeastie must prioritize the workforce in the final budget! #NYSUniversalChildCare

Click to Tweet 

As is always the case this time of year, there is a lot going on this week. In addition to the daily action above, we're going to be sharing some other ways you can engage — on social media, at in-person events or by amplifying some of the other budget issues being decided this week.

New York City, 12 PM:  NYC Public Advocate and candidate for Governor Jumaane Williams will join the Invest in Our New York (IONY) Campaign, advocates, and elected officials in New York City to demand that the state legislature investigate Governor Hochul’s Buffalo Bills stadium subsidy proposal and leave it out of the final budget.

Help us amplify our message calling for #NYSUniversalChildCare using your personal social media accounts! You can find sample Tweets and posts, as well as graphics and videos, at the toolkit linked below. And remember to follow AQE and the hashtag to see what's happening in real time.

We will be adding content and updates to this toolkit throughout the week.

We will be back on Monday with updates!