Assemblyman Manktelow (R,C-Lyons) joined his fellow Minority colleagues in the Assembly on Monday to address the pressing issue of child care in New York. Together, they emphasized the importance of increasing access to child care and reducing its cost for working parents.

The Assembly Minority Conference has put forth a comprehensive child care enhancement plan aimed at tackling child poverty rates and enhancing access to quality child care statewide. This plan involves boosting tax incentives for both child care providers and families, expanding tax credits and establishing new funding streams for child care facilities. Additionally, the proposal aims to expand early childhood education programs and introduce more flexible child care options to enhance accessibility. Addressing affordability concerns, the plan scrutinizes regional cost factors and state barriers that affect child care availability.

The Assemblyman underscored the importance of increasing state reimbursements for Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) programs, streamlining the hiring process for qualified UPK teachers and ensuring consistency in regulations across school districts and child care agencies. The plan also emphasizes collaborative efforts between school districts and child care agencies to improve UPK program quality and accessibility. Furthermore, it explores child care models, including evening and weekend child care services, and proposes implementing a regional cost factor for child care subsidies to adjust for differing living expenses across the state.

“Ensuring access to quality child care is not just a matter of policy, it’s a commitment to the well-being and future success of our children. Together, we can work towards this goal by investing in their care and education today,” said Assemblyman Manktelow.