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ALBANY, NY (WENY) – Starting on the first of the new year, New York childcare providers and families will become eligible for a second round of federally funded stabilization grants.
The funding will include families earning up to 300 percent of the poverty level, which extends eligibility to an estimated 394,000 young children throughout New York. Providers and childcare programs that were licensed by Jan. 1, 2022, can apply for these grants now to receive funding in 2023.
“What this will actually do is provide childcare providers with necessary resources to keep their doors open,” said Dia Bryant, Executive Director of The Education Trust-New York.
Bryant added that childcare providers can use the stabilization grants to do anything they need to do in their business from purchasing curriculum and buying day-to-day supplies to supporting the cost of their mortgage or rent.
According to a recent report from the Alliance for Quality education, the childcare in New York is in crisis. Many parents do not have access to affordable, quality care and many childcare providers earn below the minimum wage.
Bryant said until wages improve, this type of funding in stabilization grants will be essential.
“That’s how we lift families up in the State of New York, by investing in their ability to take care of their families during this short time when they need it because we cannot afford to lose them in the workplace,” Gov. Hochul stated in a recent press release.
The stabilization grants will ultimately reach what are known as “childcare deserts” in New York. This means there are areas in New York where there is not enough high-quality childcare available for families.
“These types of grants support providers with staying open and ultimately that actually supports infants, toddlers, and their families,” said Bryant.
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