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Council Member Lincoln Restler urges action on child care funding crisis

1:06:11

·

125 sec

Council Member Lincoln Restler raises alarm about the potential loss of child care vouchers for 60,000 children in New York City due to lack of funding in the state budget. He criticizes Mayor Adams' administration for insufficient advocacy on this issue and calls for immediate action from fellow council members and the community.

Restler thanks colleagues for signing a letter to state leaders requesting more funding for child care vouchers
He announces a rally outside the Governor's Office and urges council members to contact their state representatives
Restler emphasizes the devastating impact this cut would have on low-income families and child care providers across the city

Lincoln Restler

1:06:11

Thank you so much, madam majority leader.

1:06:14

I firstly just wanna thank almost every single one of you for signing on to a letter that council member Stevens and I wrote yesterday to the governor, the majority leader, and the speaker of the assembly calling for more funding for child care vouchers.

1:06:30

I was genuinely shocked to find out ten days ago that 60,000 children are slated to lose their childcare over the course of the next year without action in the state budget.

1:06:43

This is more kids than the entire enrollment of UPK.

1:06:48

To say that this would be devastating for families, for low income families that are struggling to get by is an understatement.

1:06:55

To say that this would be destabilizing for child care providers in our community is an understatement.

1:07:00

I have been shocked, shocked that mayor Adams and his team have done absolutely nothing to advocate for these 60,000 vouchers that are about to disappear.

1:07:11

They only informed council finance two weeks ago.

1:07:13

They barely mentioned it up in Albany and it has not been a priority for the City Of New York and their advocacy.

1:07:18

So it's time for us to step up.

1:07:20

It's time for us to get loud.

1:07:22

I'm grateful that we had almost every single elected official representing the City Of New York sign on to this letter yesterday calling for funding in the state budget.

1:07:31

We're going have a rally outside the Governor's Office on Friday at eleven with child care providers.

1:07:35

I encourage folks to turn out.

1:07:37

This will impact hundreds if not thousands of families in every single one of our districts.

1:07:43

This will close child care providers in our community if we do not see action.

1:07:48

And I can tell you, this item has not yet come up at the negotiating table in Albany between the state legislative leaders and the governor.

1:07:55

So I really want to encourage every council member to call their assembly members and state senators and say we need childcare funding.

1:08:01

I encourage you to reach out to your providers in your community and tell them to get loud and get organized that we need childcare funding.

1:08:07

We cannot allow for this devastating cut to happen.

1:08:10

We need to make sure that our our allies in Albany take action before it's too late.

1:08:15

Thank you.

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