Because of our statewide focus, our organization monitors the administration of child care assistance in each of New York State’s 58 social services districts.  In that regard, we write periodic reports assessing the state of New York’s Child Care program.  Our most recent report, Still Mending the Patchwork: A Report Examining County-by-County Inequities in Child Care Subsidy Administration in New York State,  provides  an in-depth review and comparison of the child care policies of each of the 58 social services districts and highlights how county variations in policy disadvantage vulnerable low income families and child care providers. It proposes detailed regulatory and statutory changes that will help resolve these inequalities.  I hope that you will take the time to review it.

I am going to focus my remarks this morning on two topics.  First the critical need for comprehensive data that will:

• Allow New York to move toward a system of  payment rates that support quality;
• Determine whether New York’s county-driven eligibility practices and the current allocation formula are best serving low income working families;
• Determine the effect of county-by-county co-payment policies on access to subsidies.

Second, I will request that this Committee consider and support a policy that would expand the reach of our limited child care dollars.

CLICK HERE to read our entire testimony.