PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Robert Ramos, President of Local 205 of DC 37
3:03:41
ยท
4 min
Robert Ramos, President of Local 205 of DC 37, testifies about the proposed closure of five child care centers and ongoing issues with the Department of Education (DOE). He emphasizes the importance of these centers for working families and criticizes the DOE's handling of enrollment and payments.
- Highlights the rally against the closures and the support from elected officials
- Discusses the problem of underenrollment, which he attributes to DOE redirecting children to public schools
- Calls for a long-term solution rather than a temporary reprieve for the centers facing closure
- Emphasizes the professionalism of daycare workers and their role in education, not just child supervision
Robert Ramos
3:03:41
Hello.
3:03:41
Good morning.
3:03:43
Good morning to chair Joseph and the fellow education committee members.
3:03:49
My name is Raya Ramos.
3:03:51
I am president of local two zero five of DC thirty seven representing 2,700 day care workers throughout the city and about 350 centers also.
3:04:02
The proposed closure of the five child care centers, Neustros Ninos, Grand Street Settlement, Friends of Crown Heights, Fourth Green Council, and All My Children Daycare announced by the administration last month was troubling and disheartening.
3:04:15
Workers, directors, along with families, elected officials, and union leaders took to the streets to rally in support of these childcare centers and the need for them in working class communities.
3:04:25
We have had constant issues dealing with the Department of Education, DOE, and the city and the city to ensure timely payments, which have been mentioned many times today.
3:04:36
This has been an ongoing battle for year after year with the DOE.
3:04:40
Start changing our day care centers, causing centers to close, causing day care workers to not get paid for months at a time.
3:04:47
We even heard today of stories of one of the directors and many directors taking out bridge loans or even coming sometimes out of their own pocket to continue their operations until the city comes through with the payments that they are required.
3:05:02
These centers are crucial lifelines to work and families by providing safe spaces for children to learn and to play.
3:05:09
And I like to emphasize learn.
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These centers are not daycare centers where people are just watching children.
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We are professionals.
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We have degrees, masters, and we are here to teach children, not just watch them play and make sure they're okay.
3:05:24
That's also what we have to do, but we are here to teach them.
3:05:27
And we know that children in day care centers achieve much more when they're in first, second, third grade than children that don't go to day care centers.
3:05:36
For years, the DOE has been trying to close child care centers that are underenrolled, yet the city is the cause of the underenrollment.
3:05:44
Many times, they redirect children to public school classroom.
3:05:49
You have families that want to go to certain centers, and the DOE will tell them, well, that school is closer.
3:05:55
Well, that school has spaces.
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You should go there.
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And families sometimes do that.
3:06:00
So that takes away children from us, resulting in us having the vacant spaces that then they want to penalize us for.
3:06:06
Furthermore, DOE has closed the enrollment portals for these centers that have are being, they're trying to close, leaving parents with no other alternative.
3:06:16
Now I'm happy to hear that they are, kinda reopening them again.
3:06:21
And most recently, the city was trying to close these five centers not for the under enrollment as they say, but because of leases.
3:06:30
And these centers have been serving the community for decades and children's and thousands of children's for years.
3:06:36
These centers are still owed money, yet the city wants to close them because of leases to save money.
3:06:42
We were happy to learn that there's a temporary reprieve.
Rita Joseph
3:06:45
For your testimony.
3:06:46
Time has expired.
Robert Ramos
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Thank you.
Rita Joseph
3:06:50
No.
3:06:50
He can he can continue.
3:06:52
Go ahead.
Robert Ramos
3:06:52
Okay.
3:06:54
We're happy to learn that there was a temporary reprieve, but we need a long term solution and not just a Band Aid fix as was mentioned earlier.
3:07:01
These workers and families deserve more from the city.
3:07:03
The city needs to fulfill its commitments to working families by providing safe and affordable childcare centers.
3:07:10
We like to thank public advocate Damani Williams, borough president Antonio Reynoso, and the various state and city elected officials who are coming out and rallying in support of my members and the families who use these childcare centers.
3:07:23
Enough is enough.
3:07:24
City needs to open the enrollment portals and let parents sign up for these centers.
3:07:29
And as I said in a press release at the lab for the last rally, the dedication of my members and providing services to our city's children while foregoing the security of their next paycheck is a testament to their professionalism and commitment.
3:07:42
It has also exposes the DOE's irresponsibility in not providing proper timely payments and pay them on time.
3:07:50
Thank you to chair Joseph who has been an early childcare champion and for holding this crucial hearing, and I will take any questions you may have.