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Q&A
Concerns about City Hall's response to child care funding issues
0:23:49
·
5 min
Council Member Brannan expresses concerns about City Hall's appreciation and prioritization of the child care funding issue. Commissioner Dannhauser defends the administration's efforts and engagement on the matter.
- Brannan questions why child care funding wasn't prominently featured in City Hall's Albany lobbying efforts
- Dannhauser asserts that there have been numerous high-level discussions and engagement on the issue
- Brannan emphasizes the critical nature of the issue for families and the need for a more robust response from City Hall
Justin L. Brannan
0:23:49
Is that right?
0:23:51
Do you think City Hall fully appreciates how important this issue is?
Jess Dannhauser
0:23:55
Absolutely.
0:23:56
Do
Justin L. Brannan
0:23:57
you know why when they went up for a tin cup day they didn't talk about this?
Jess Dannhauser
0:24:02
We have been talking to the state for years about this.
0:24:05
The so for the conversation for years was don't you know, make sure you're spending as much money as possible.
0:24:12
Let's not leave any federal dollar on the table, which makes a lot of sense.
0:24:17
We don't control the allocation, how it goes countywide.
0:24:21
The state structured the plan to encourage counties to spend.
0:24:25
So last year we were receiving supplemental allocations depending on how far we got with enrollment.
0:24:33
So they said to counties, enroll, enroll, enroll and let's see who gets the most and we'll make the supplemental allocation based on that.
0:24:41
I think there was an understanding that this was deeply important, but also that the state had a plan here because they were encouraging every county statewide to enroll.
0:24:53
They also now at least 12 counties have begun wait lists and I heard from another county administrator on Friday that they're beginning a waitlist.
0:25:04
For some reason the state only put the maintenance effort on the city and not other counties.
0:25:08
And so as a statewide program that's been a real priority.
0:25:12
I think that there was a sense that, and conversations that have been going on, deputy mayor reached out to the governor's office, many people were in conversation including myself.
0:25:22
I think there was a sense that there was more momentum there than what there was.
Justin L. Brannan
0:25:26
I guess the concern for us is that if if this was such a priority or we were so worried about having to be stuck with this bill then why wasn't it when City Hall went to Albany, wasn't it on their top five list?
0:25:39
They didn't mention it
Jess Dannhauser
0:25:40
at all.
0:25:41
Yeah.
0:25:41
There was there was a lot of conversations with the state about this issue dating
Michael Max Knobbe
0:25:47
back
Justin L. Brannan
0:25:47
I no doubt from ACS.
0:25:49
I'm talking about when City Hall
Jess Dannhauser
0:25:50
was talking City Hall as well.
0:25:52
There was lots of conversations between city hall and the governor's office around this as well.
0:25:59
And I think we really believe that there was a statewide commitment to this issue.
0:26:06
We obviously are in a position now where we're advocating and we need to continue to advocate.
0:26:12
This match is a one time and not great solution for the city.
0:26:17
As we move into next fiscal years, state fiscal years, I think it's really important that we continue to advocate for more resources for this program.
Justin L. Brannan
0:26:26
What changed this year?
0:26:27
Why is the state changing this?
Jess Dannhauser
0:26:30
The state is changing it because I think that they they understand that they want to have continuity for children in child care, and they chose to make that the bulk of that responsibility a state a child a city responsibility.
Justin L. Brannan
0:26:45
So just for the record, how much does the state's enacted budget include for child care vouchers?
Jess Dannhauser
0:26:52
The $1,800,000,000 statewide plus the 350,000,000 match.
Justin L. Brannan
0:27:00
And the shortfall in your estimate is?
Jess Dannhauser
0:27:04
At current, given that we are the maintenance effort we have to spend the $328,000,000 in federal fiscal year '26, We're still assessing what the shortfall will be.
0:27:16
It depends on the growth of the mandated population.
0:27:19
It depends on whether we continue to have the wait list.
0:27:24
It depends on a number of factors.
0:27:26
Our projected spending at this point is 1,520,000,000.00 on both the mandated vouchers and the low income vouchers.
Justin L. Brannan
0:27:34
I guess our concern has been that this is not an issue to play hot potato on, and I don't think ACS is playing hot potato.
0:27:41
I worry about what city hall is doing.
0:27:43
I don't think they fully appreciate how critical this is to so many families in the city.
0:27:50
I understand that the push and pull and the tug of, you know, the state budget and the city budget and what we feel they should pay for vice versa.
0:27:59
But up till now, the response from city hall is does not meet the moment in terms of how important this is and and the anxiety that families are feeling when they just see their politicians pointing fingers instead of figuring out how to actually pay for this.
Jess Dannhauser
0:28:15
I think the fact that we submitted the plan that we did, that the city is putting in a significant amount of resources, There have been dozens and dozens of calls at the highest levels on weekends, nights, mornings about this with City Hall.
0:28:30
It is a big commitment of City Hall and the entire administration.
0:28:37
So I think that it is something that is deeply important and that has certainly been signaled to me.
0:28:43
And the folks working on this are deeply engaged and focused on it, and that's at the highest levels.