REMARKS
Council Member Rita Joseph's opening remarks on early childhood care center closures
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4 min
Council Member Rita Joseph opens the hearing on early childhood care center closures, outlining recent events where five centers were initially slated for closure but later granted one-year extensions. She highlights concerns about transparency, stability, and ongoing issues in the early childhood education system.
- Joseph questions the discrepancies in enrollment data and the decision-making process behind the proposed closures.
- She addresses persistent payment delays to providers and the need for long-term solutions.
- The hearing aims to understand the closure decisions and develop strategies to prevent future disruptions in early childcare services.
Rita Joseph
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Good morning and welcome to today's hearing on early childhood care center closures.
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I'm Rita Joseph, chair of the education committee.
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Thank you to everyone who signed up to testify.
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We're looking forward to hearing your testimony.
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On 01/14/2025, a day after mayor Adams released his preliminary f y twenty twenty six preliminary budget, New York City public schools informed five early childhood child care centers serving low income families that their leases were being terminated and their programs would not be renewed for the upcoming school year.
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This abrupt announcement less than twenty four hours before applications opened for the upcoming school year left families and providers scrambling for answers, which raises serious concerns about transparency and stability in the city's early childhood education and early child care system.
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These five centers, all five children day care six in South Jamaica, Young Minds Day Care in Bedford Stuyvesant, Friends Of Crown Heights Twenty Nine in Crown Heights, Bushwick Child Care Center in Bushwick in Bushwick and Notos Ninos in South Williamsburg serve nearly 300 children.
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Families rely on them for affordable, high quality early child care, which benefits children, parents, and communities at large.
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Following public backlash, as well as pressures from public advocate, the city controller, and several council members, New York City Public Schools since reversed course.
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And on 02/14/2025, it was reported that providers of all five centers were granted contract extensions through June 2026.
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While this temporary extension provides some relief, it does not address larger issues that led to the situation in the first place.
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New York City Public School Officials cited several reasons for the shutdowns including new rent rates at almost double the price, low enrollment, and similarly program available nearby.
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However, several questions remain.
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For instance, Nosotros Ninos reportedly has around 80% enrollment with 96 students, but mayor Adams justifies closure by stating that only four children were registered.
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How does New York City Public Schools count enrollment, and why is there such a stock discrepancy?
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Advocates have reported that New York City Public Schools delay in approving providers' contracts contribute to these inconsistencies, creating administrative challenges that undermine stabilities for providers.
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Additionally, several providers have expressed that the city fails to make timely payments that have severely impacted their operations.
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Despite multiple attempts to obtain guidance from New York City Public School and repeated invoice submissions, providers continue to face a lack of support in navigating the invoicing process.
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Further compounding financial strain and administrative difficulties, this issue was also raised at our 2023 hearing on three k funding cuts and delayed reimbursement at early childhood providers as well as 2022 hearing on early childhood programs in New York City.
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Why do these persistent payment delays continue to plague our early child care system?
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Why the one year contract extension announced last week provides short term relief for families and providers?
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It does not fully resolve the uncertainty surrounding these programs.
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Having the building leases been renewed or will providers operate on a month to month lease agreement?
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More importantly, what plans are in place to ensure that the sustainability of these centers and other similarly situated centers beyond June 2026?
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The future of early childhood education and early child care should not be determined behind closed doors.
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At today's hearing, the committee is seeking to understand the decision making process that led to the proposed closures of these centers.
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Today's hearing will also provide an opportunity to learn from these events and develop long term solutions to prevent future disruption, ensuring stability in early child care for families and providers.