Q&A
Ongoing challenges with early childhood education contract management and payments
2:08:32
·
3 min
Council Member Rita Joseph expresses frustration with ongoing challenges in early childhood education, particularly regarding delayed contracts and payments. She questions Deputy Chancellor Simone Hawkins about bridge loans and payment processes.
- Rita Joseph emphasizes the need for non-negotiable improvements in the early childhood education system
- Concerns are raised about providers not being paid, with one example owing a million dollars in back pay
- Discussion of bridge loans, which do not charge interest, and the process for addressing invoicing issues
- Clarification that DOE does not owe Nuestros Niños a million dollars, as their contract is not yet registered
Rita Joseph
2:08:32
Okay.
2:08:34
Oh this is a lot.
2:08:36
Yes it is.
2:08:37
We've been doing this since I've been doing this early childhood dance since I got here in 2022, '2 hearings on payments, delayed contracts not being we have to get this right.
2:08:51
It can't be the same fight every year, every time, every chance we get.
2:08:58
We've been doing this.
2:08:59
So that's why we meet every two weeks to improve the sector, to make sure the workforce is there, make sure the seats are available for our students, but I'm finding that sometime I feel that I'm running in circles as as the chair and it's a little frustrating for me, my committee, my staff, and the providers in New York City families who these things should be non negotiable for us.
2:09:23
These are non negotiables.
2:09:24
We have to come up with non negotiables and I'm sure educators can understand that.
2:09:28
Just like we have non negotiables, we have to have non negotiables in early childhood where the work has to be done, the system has to be improved, but it's been three years and I'm not listening to any more excuse that we just got here.
2:09:42
We're not here.
2:09:42
We've been here from day one and we've been fighting for providers and we find that it's the same providers are not being paid.
2:09:51
Think Nosotros Ninos earlier mentioned on the record they are owed a million dollars in backpave to pay their staff, pay rent, keep food on the table for each and every one of these families and I'm sure every single one of them are women.
2:10:06
So how do we do that?
2:10:08
And and always encourage to take bridge loans when we should be fixing the system.
2:10:13
Is there interest charged on a bridge loan?
Simone Hawkins
2:10:16
No.
2:10:17
And this 1,000 this ten ninety four budgets approved, I wanted to get back to you on your stat.
Rita Joseph
2:10:22
Thank you.
2:10:22
How long does it take when someone applied for bridge loan to get approved?
Simone Hawkins
2:10:26
That I do not know.
2:10:27
I get back to you on the process.
2:10:28
It's not from what I understand incredibly lengthy, it's something we do prioritize.
2:10:32
Again we work across agencies for that and that is a process we actually have staff dedicated to managing and so I can get back to you on the average time for processing.
Rita Joseph
2:10:43
And what what is the chain of command for addressing invoicing including providers who contact first, how does the escalation work?
2:10:52
How does it work when we escalate?
2:10:54
Now you owe her a million dollars, when does she get to see that payment?
Simone Hawkins
2:10:57
So I would like to correct that we do not owe Nuestro Senos a million dollars.
Rita Joseph
2:11:01
I think Amy Owes She
Simone Hawkins
2:11:02
has not invoiced us yet because her contract is not registered.
Rita Joseph
2:11:06
And how long is it gonna take for her to register that?
Simone Hawkins
2:11:08
So I believe she's in the final stages of her contract registration process and again for this particular site the budget's already pre approved which is great.
2:11:16
And how much is that?
2:11:18
The entire budget.
2:11:19
Let me let you know her entire budget amount and just to answer your question around how much, I believe the budget for is a is 2 it's 1,500,000.0.
2:11:40
I believe is the annualized but again that's contingent upon enrollment and because it's also EDY is contingent upon attendance.
2:11:49
And so we cannot verify how much is owed until we are invoiced because that needs to be based on the actual enrollment and the expenses for that particular month.