Category: Action Updates

We have been busy building the momentum for #NYSUniversalChildCare, and yesterday we saw our collective power on full display! We extend our gratitude to everyone who participated — if you were at one of our events in Albany, Utica, Buffalo or New York City; if you were one of the nearly 700 people who showed … Continue reading We’re building a drumbeat for #NYSUniversalChildCare

New York’s leaders must prioritize making child care more accessible for families. Early care and education is a right, not a privilege. It is an essential part of our early education system,  to healthy communities, and to our state’s economy, and it must be available to all. We have long known that child care provides … Continue reading Child care is education and must be universal

This year, New York City’s public schools are slated to receive a $349 million increase in Foundation Aid. But the majority of New York City’s school aid increase won’t go to the public schools that serve a majority of students— it actually will go to privately run charter schools. How can this be? State law … Continue reading The majority of NYC’s school aid increase should go to the majority of students

On January 5, Governor Hochul delivered her inaugural State of the State address to announce her top priorities and proposals for New York State in 2022. When making her address, Governor Hochul proposed increasing access to child care for 100,000 families making up to 225% of the federal level of poverty and investing $75 million … Continue reading Tell Governor Hochul: Make Universal Child Care a Reality in New York!

Over the past 10 weeks, AQE joined Senator Jabari Brisport in visiting 28 care programs and spoke with over a thousand parents and providers as part of the statewide Child Care Tour. Using the extensive input gathered from the tour participants, today we published a report that illustrates in great detail all the reasons why … Continue reading Let’s make universal child care a reality in New York!

As millions of Black and Brown New Yorkers struggle to recover from the economic effects of the pandemic, Governor Cuomo is refusing to tax his rich friends. Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie have taken bold action to tax the wealthy few to fund essential needs for millions, but Cuomo insists … Continue reading Help us get Foundation Aid over the finish line!

After a decade+ of cuts & underfunding, it’s clear that Governor Cuomo doesn’t care about Black communities. New Yorkers are at a breaking point. Covid-19 didn’t cause the current crisis – it uncovered the massive economic disparity in our state. This runaway inequality is the result of years of Cuomo’s austerity budgets and his refusal … Continue reading Governor Cuomo’s Cuts Are Hurting Black Communities

As part of the federal stimulus packages, New York is expected to receive $1.8 billion under the American Rescue Act Plan plus $469 million for child care. New York must invest these funds in the ways we know will help families and the child care sector now. And the New York Legislature, whose members are informed and … Continue reading Tell State Legislators: Include child care in the final state budget!

New York parents cannot get back to work without child care. Yet, New York’s Child Care providers are struggling to keep their doors open at a time when child care is needed more than ever. New York State has not made the investment to pay early childhood educators a living wage and build a system for … Continue reading Let’s build a child care system for all NY families

For the second year in a row, Governor Cuomo is trying to cut funding from public schools. But the governor cannot pass a budget alone. Senate Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie will ultimately join the Governor in making the final decisions in the enacted budget — and right now, they are deciding … Continue reading NY’s elected leaders must prioritize students & child care