- 2 days ago
On Thursday, NYC Mayor held a press briefing on childcare investments in his budget.
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NewsTranscript
00:00I think it's afternoon. It's about two seconds before noon, but it is noon.
00:04I am Ana J. Almanzar and I am the Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives.
00:08I am honored to be here with all my colleagues and friends
00:12alongside Mayor Eric Adams, Deputy Mayor and Chief of Staff Camille
00:16Joseph Varlack, New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa
00:20Aviles Ramos, Deputy Chancellor Christina Foti,
00:24Deputy Chancellor Simone Hawkins, the Executive Director of the Mayor's Office for
00:28Early Childhood Education, Amber Cartwright
00:32and Betty Baez Melo, Director of the Early Childhood Education Project
00:36at Advocates for Children. Since day one, the Adams
00:40Administration has stayed focused on what matters most and at the top
00:44of that list is giving our youngest New Yorkers the opportunities
00:48they deserve right from the start. We believe every child
00:52should have access to affordable, high quality early child education
00:56independent of their zip code or background. That is why we have
01:00prioritized lowering the cost of
01:02child care and expanding access
01:04by increasing the number of
01:06available seats to continue building
01:08the largest early child education
01:10system in the country.
01:12And this is only possible because of the leadership
01:14of someone who has never wavered
01:16his commitment to families
01:18across the five boroughs.
01:20A leader who continues to invest in what
01:22matters most, making New York City
01:24the best place to raise a family
01:26and delivering what we proudly call
01:28the best budget ever.
01:30Please join me in welcoming
01:32New York City's Chief Executive Officer, Mayor Eric Adams.
01:38Thanks so much, DM, and just your commitment to this issue.
01:44We were really focused on ensuring that we continue
01:50really the legacy that former Mayor Bill de Blasio started.
01:54We had real challenges with the fiscal cliffs
01:58from the stimulus dollars.
02:00But the team knew that we had
02:02to find a way.
02:04The numbers and the research is clear.
02:06Early childhood education
02:08really impacts
02:10the development of a child's brain
02:12and their mind and their socialization
02:14skills, and it just gives them
02:16the start that they need.
02:18Far too often in communities
02:20where there was economically challenges
02:22of these young people were not
02:24getting and receiving the same
02:26level of
02:28start in life with early childhood education.
02:30Not only the academic part
02:32of it, but just the emotional
02:34intelligence that's attached
02:36with early learning.
02:38And the nutrition.
02:40Sometimes people forget
02:42that these young people are receiving
02:44a well-balanced meal.
02:46Many of them are coming from households
02:48where that is a challenge.
02:50We had to find ways of dealing
02:52with the impediments
02:54that prevented our young people
02:56having the same advantages
02:58that were received in other parts of the city.
03:00And we know that the best way
03:02to pursue the American dream
03:04and make it a reality for all
03:06is by making our city
03:08more affordable for working class
03:10children and families.
03:12We know that child care costs
03:14have skyrocketed putting pressure
03:16on monthly bills and budgets
03:18and too long working families
03:20have struggled to afford
03:22the cost of child care.
03:24And this impacts.
03:26Studies have shown us
03:28it impacts women the most.
03:30Many of them leave their jobs
03:32to stay home and take care of their children.
03:34And over a lifetime,
03:36you're talking about $145,000
03:38in lost income to a family.
03:40The entire family is impacted by that.
03:42And so today, I'm proud to announce
03:44key funding commitments that we've made
03:48in free child care as part of our best budget ever
03:52that passed with all of the city council votes.
03:5651 city council members voted for this bill.
04:00And I think they agreed it was the best budget ever.
04:02We are investing $80 million
04:04to support working families
04:06and ensure that every child
04:08has fair access to our early childhood education programs.
04:12And far too often, universal pre-K wasn't fully universal
04:18since it left out children with special needs.
04:22But our administration has changed that.
04:24We are proud to invest $70 million to support
04:28pre-K special education students
04:30who require occupational therapy, speech therapy,
04:34or other related services.
04:36And last week, under the adopted budget,
04:40we also announced a groundbreaking $10 million pilot program
04:45that will provide free child care
04:48for children aged 2 and under from low-income families.
04:53This will prove, if successful,
04:57that this would be the beginning steps
04:59of ensuring universal child care for low-income families.
05:04And no one works harder for this city
05:07than parents who are attempting to raise their children
05:10under some difficult and economical challenges.
05:14And so we believe if we can continue to expand
05:18this universal child care for low-income families,
05:22it will send a clear, loud message
05:24that we are investing in these children at an early age.
05:27And I know how difficult juggling child care can be.
05:31I watched this growing up, mom doing three jobs,
05:35and my sister losing her childhood, raising the five of us,
05:39and knowing that if we are giving the opportunities to the parents,
05:44we're giving the opportunities to the entire family.
05:47And so I want to thank our partners across the entire city.
05:52She's not here, but Councilwoman Rita Joseph for her commitment to this,
05:57as well as the DOE team that knew how important this is.
06:01We have made almost $170 million in funding for early childhood education
06:08permanent in our city.
06:10And what I'm truly proud of is what we're doing with children with special needs,
06:16how we're not leaving them behind.
06:19I say all the time, behind every child with special needs is a special parent.
06:24And a parent wants the same thing for their child no matter what circumstances
06:29or conditions that child is under.
06:31And far too long we've overlooked that.
06:33Children with special needs want to play, they want to develop,
06:36they want to have opportunities.
06:38And this administration, we understand that,
06:41and we're going to continue to lead into it.
06:44We know that in this government, it takes an entire city to raise a child.
06:50But it must start with City Hall.
06:53And our commitment will continue to be for the children and families of this city.
06:57So I want to thank our team that's here.
07:00Job well done.
07:01We're going to continue to move forward, ensure the best quality education for our children.
07:07But we will develop their full personhood and only have them be academically smart,
07:11but emotionally intelligent to face the challenges that they have in front of them.
07:16Thank you very much.
07:17Thank you, dear.
07:18Thank you, Mayor.
07:23I know it's only noon, but we can do better than that.
07:25Thank you, Mayor Adams.
07:26There we go.
07:27And I want to echo the major sentiment and thank the chairperson of the Education Committee,
07:35Trita Josephs, with whom the team and I have worked very closely for the last year,
07:41making sure that we implement a successful 10-point plan.
07:44So thank you to the chairperson, and we hope that she will make it here in a few minutes.
07:48But now I have the pleasure of introducing my colleague,
07:51someone who knows firsthand how important this work is,
07:55and specifically always advocating for our youngest scholars in special education,
08:02our deputy mayor and chief of staff, Camille Joseph-Ralek.
08:09Thank you, Deputy Mayor Ana.
08:11It is truly an honor to be here today with all of our partners to commemorate this historic funding,
08:17which will ensure that New York remains the best place to raise a family.
08:22I have had the privilege of working very closely with New York City Public Schools
08:26since the beginning of this administration,
08:28and one of my biggest priorities has been working with this team to reimagine special education.
08:34Under this mayor, we have done just that.
08:37Hats off to our colleagues at New York City Public Schools
08:40and the Mayor's Office of Early Childhood Education,
08:43the work the Chancellor Aviles-Ramos, Deputy Chancellors Foti and Hawkins,
08:49and Executive Director Amber Cartwright, and Deputy Executive Director Tova Gottsman,
08:54and their teams have done is nothing short of exemplary.
08:58This is a team that I know personally works every single day, 24-7, seven days a week,
09:05to be focused on these issues.
09:07Thousands of families across the city rely on access to these essential services
09:12to ensure that their students with special education requirements get the resources they need to thrive.
09:19This $80 million investment is going to do so much to broaden that access.
09:25It means shorter wait times for families, increased hiring of much-needed support and administrative staff,
09:32and reduced burdens for private providers.
09:35This administration has been laser-focused on making sure that key investments are made where it matters to the lives of working families.
09:44This is just another way that we are building on that commitment and driving harder every single day to make New York City more affordable.
09:53We have also been committed to leveraging new, innovative tools to proactively address the challenges our neighbors face.
10:01We are making history today in establishing the already mentioned pilot program for zero to two-year-olds with a focus on low-income families in our city.
10:11Working to expand childcare access to those most in need of it is exactly the kind of transformative investment that makes this the best budget ever.
10:26Thank you, Camille.
10:27And now I have the immense pleasure of introducing a lifelong learner, educator, I'm sorry, a champion for equity.
10:34And learner, that's right, thank you, thank you.
10:37The chancellor of the largest school system in the nation, and I have to do this in Spanish,
10:43the chancellor, Melissa Ables Ramos.
10:47How was that?
10:52Definitely always a lifelong learner.
10:54And what a privilege it is to be here celebrating this great investment.
11:00Mr. Mayor, as an educator, as a woman, as a mother, someone who has been impacted personally by lack of access
11:11and who truly understands how hard it is to reach for the stars professionally while taking care of your own children,
11:19I want to thank you for living up to your commitment to making New York City the safest and greatest and affordable place to live.
11:28Can we give it up for this administration?
11:33I want to thank our partners in City Council because this investment is so important.
11:39It goes beyond the money that we are putting into this investment.
11:43It goes into the support that we are giving families, the opportunity, the equity work that we are doing when it comes to making sure
11:52that families have what they need to give children the very best opportunities from day one.
11:59And our partners at City Council understand how important that is.
12:03So Chair Rita Joseph and all the team over at City Council, we want to thank you for that commitment.
12:08I also want to thank the incredible deputy mayors who are standing up here.
12:13Deputy Mayor Ana Al-Mansar, Deputy Mayor and Chief of Staff Camille Joseph-Varlick.
12:17As they mentioned, lots of nights, lots of meetings, lots of working groups.
12:22But you know, when you have a lot of smart, determined people who always ask how do we get to yes, good things happen, great things happen.
12:29I also want to thank my own team.
12:32I'm so honored to work alongside some of the most dedicated educators I've ever known in nearly two decades as an educator.
12:39Deputy Chancellor Christina Foti, Deputy Chancellor Simone Hawkins.
12:43They're incredible teams who do this work because they understand the purpose behind it, both professionally and personally.
12:54We also have a number of friends who advocate for this work, advocates for children and all the advocates who work with us to get to yes.
13:02Thank you for your commitment.
13:07Over the next several months, we will be engaging our community leaders, providers and families and conducting an in-depth analysis so that we can operationalize and launch the city's first birth to two pilot program.
13:23And we know that that communities and stakeholder engagement is truly important when it comes to operationalizing these great big ideas.
13:31We are also going to work on staffing up so we can respond, we can expand access to services for preschoolers with disabilities.
13:38Because as the mayor said, we need to make sure that no student is left behind and our children with special needs bring brilliance and greatness and joy to this system.
13:50And we need to make sure they are always prioritized.
13:53As chancellor, supporting our most vulnerable communities has been a top priority for me and I am truly thrilled to be a part of a team that also prioritizes this.
14:08Thank you, Councillor.
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14:16Now, we have so many partners and I know the chancellor mentioned some of them and I have the honor of introducing someone who has advocated for equity within the system
14:25and for affordability for all our families to access early childhood.
14:30Betty Baez Melo, she is the director of early childhood education project at Advocates for Children.
14:35Betty.
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14:53I started my own educational journey in this neighborhood at a St. Mark's Head Start program just a few blocks from here.
14:58So it really feels fitting to be in this new program today to celebrate the important investments in early childhood education that are included in the 2026 city budget.
15:09If we want this city to be an attractive place to raise young children and if we want the city to live up to the promise of making 3K and Pre-K truly be for all,
15:17then we need to make sure that all early childhood education programs can serve every and all students.
15:22That includes children with disabilities.
15:24But over the last year at Advocates for Children, we repeatedly heard from families who have children who are struggling in their 3K and Pre-K programs because they were not getting the services and supports that they need to learn and that they have a legal right to receive.
15:38One of those was a mother here in Brooklyn who contacted us in April because her son was a student with a disability and had gone the entire year without the speech therapy and occupational therapy services.
15:51He needed to learn.
15:52She was getting really concerned seeing that he was growing increasingly frustrated and was having a hard time communicating and interacting with his peers.
15:59She contacted the DOE again and again but unfortunately was told that there was nothing they could do because there were no providers available.
16:06And we know that this family isn't the only one.
16:09Thousands of other families face similar challenges.
16:12As of this spring, more than 600 children were waiting for a seat in a preschool special education classroom and about 7,000 preschoolers were waiting for at least one of their mandated services to begin.
16:25That's why we were relieved and very grateful to see the addition of 70 million for preschool special education in this year's city budget.
16:32As well as 2.9 million for preschool inclusion specialists.
16:36This investment is a critical step that has the potential to help thousands of children, thousands of preschoolers with disabilities get the evaluations, services and placements that they need in order to learn.
16:46And it's a big step in making 3K and pre-K truly be closer to being for all students.
16:52So we want to thank the mayor, the administration, city council, especially speaker Adams and council member Joseph for responding to this need, to responding to the calls from parents.
17:02We look forward to working with the city to make sure that it meets its legal obligation, to provide every child with the classroom and special education services that they have a legal right to receive.
17:11And to really make the most of these really formative early childhood education years thanks to those services.
17:17Thank you Betty and I'm going to steal a page from the Chancellor of Education who a few months ago we were at a press conference and she took the time to make sure that she gave a few remarks in Spanish.
17:33I learned.
17:37During a long time, the New York families have had to take decisiones difficult to pay the alquiler or the infant care care, accept their job or leave them at home.
17:46But this budget, the best budget of history, seeks to make a solution to this situation.
17:51We are creating programs that benefit both the parents and children.
17:56Ofrecer cuidado infantil de calidad permite que los padres puedan trabajar, lo que impulsa el crecimiento de los negocios y también fortalece la economÃa de la ciudad de Nueva York.
18:07Al mismo tiempo, prepara mejor a nuestros niños para la escuela y para la vida en general.
18:14Es una polÃtica inteligente y es lo correcto.
18:16Sin duda, la inversión de 80 millones de dólares es como logramos que esta sea la mejor ciudad del paÃs para criar una familia.
18:27Y lo estamos haciendo dÃa a dÃa.
18:30MuchÃsimas gracias.
18:31And now some questions, I believe.
18:33Thanks, Mayor.
18:39Can I do a few?
18:40I want to help.
18:40I want to help.
18:43I want to help.