NYC preschools are calling for a bailout, saying $65 million in state grants fall woefully short
By Christina Veiga
(EXCERPT)
In all, New York state got about $164 million in federal money to spend on the sector since the coronavirus pandemic took hold. In addition to the grants announced this week, another $30 million has been spent on subsidizing child care for front line workers and paying for protective gear and clearing supplies. (That leaves $69 million leftover.)
Many states are worried they won’t see additional federal support for recovery, and are trying to stretch out the dollars they’ve already been allocated, said Stephanie Schmit, a senior policy analyst on childcare and early education for the Center for Law and Social Policy, an anti-poverty advocacy group. Congress has not acted on proposed legislation that would dedicate $50 billion to the sector, and is still wrangling over the next round of federal stimulus spending. Child care in New York alone is estimated to be a $4.2 billion industry.
“The resources, while incredibly needed, are very limited,” said Schmit. “There’s not enough money to go around.”
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