Coalition highlights North Country child care struggles

PLATTSBURGH | A North Country coalition is hoping to shine a light on the current challenges of local child care as they advocate for more state aid and guidance amid the pandemic. Stand Up for Child Care Adirondacks recently launched a video campaign to bring attention to challenges faced by the child care industry and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The videos feature child care providers, parents, and community leaders who share their issues and propose solutions to stabilize the industry that is crucial to the success of our local economy. "Child care is economic development," North Country Workforce Development Board Executive Director Sylvie Nelson said. Encouraged by Gov. Cuomo's commitment of $40 million in the 2021 budget toward child care, Stand Up for Child Care Adirondacks is asking state elected officials to commit to a legislative add of $1.5 million for facilitated enrollment in the 2021 NYS budget. The funds would offset the high cost of child care faced by median income working families in Clinton, Essex, and Franklin counties. Additionally, the group is advocating for CARES money to go directly to child care providers to infuse cash into programs and long term investment as well as support the child care profession by streamlining and solidifying a pipeline for the development of child care businesses, beginning with the recruitment of new providers. According to the Center of American Progress, without financial help, 50-percent of child care centers will go out of business. And just as important, the cost of child care has surpassed housing as the most expensive category of basic living, creating a significant barrier for families. Additionally, a staggering 70-percent of U.S. child care providers report working a second job to be able to make ends meet. "In Clinton, Essex, and Franklin counties, there are 20,000 children under the age of 12 in need of child care; 30% of which live in poverty and whose parents must disburse, on average, $15,000 per year for two children in child care," said Sara Allen Taylor, project director of the Child Care Coordinating Council of the North Country. "Those numbers are unsustainable." Meanwhile, COVID-19 is putting a financial strain on child care providers. Decreased enrollment and increased operational costs have left most providers, both for-profit and nonprofit, in an unsustainable financial situation. "We need our elected officials to include a $1.5 million fund in the NYS budget for Clinton, Essex, and Franklin counties which could be used for facilitated enrollment," said Jamie Basiliere, CCCCNC executive director. "We also need to advocate for CARES money to go directly to child care professionals and alleviate the paperwork and delays." For more information about the coalition's efforts and the new video awareness campaign, visit www.adirondackbt3.org/resources/stand-child-care.

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Coalition highlights North Country child care struggles

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