Day Care Centers’ Bumpy Present
City to Cut 16,624 Day Care Slots
by Yuridia Peña
Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2012 includes the elimination of 16,624 child care seats, including 4,000 slots at city-funded early childhood schools run by certified Day Care Directors – CSA members – who offer children a sound early childhood education.
“It is imperative that the Mayor reconsider his proposal, and find other areas, especially within the structure of Administration of Children’s Services (ACS), to streamline. President Obama recognizes that early education is a strong foundation for success and has vowed to make it a priority. Now is the time for NYC to support subsidized childcare,” said CSA President Ernest Logan.
Since 2002, the Mayor has closed 52 city-subsidized centers. According to the Day Care Council of NY, nearly 6,000 fewer children are receiving child care than in 2008. The proposed cuts to will reduce the capacity of the entire system by almost one third. The Mayor says that cuts in public services are necessary across the board; with child care in particular, costs, per child, have increased, but the city will receive fewer federal dollars.
Last year’s budget cuts continue to burden families today and the pain will continue; about half-dozen centers will close by the end of this month and by July 1, 15 will have closed in the past year.
The Bedford Avenue DCC closed on March 1. The Center has provided a safe haven for thousands of children from low-income households since 1971. Its former Director, Eleanor Crawford, says ACS targeted the center unfairly because
the center was never under-enrolled; on the contrary, the center had a waiting list. How ACS handled the center’s closing upset many community members, she added.
For example, ACS ignored the landlord’s willingness to negotiate rent. ACS also froze funding, and fired teachers as
well as the center’s full-time janitor.“I never want to work for ACS again,” said Ms. Crawford. The administrative staff was forced to clean and perform other custodial duties. “We’ve become janitors,” said Family Director Marie Soutar. Ms. Crawford and Ms. Soutar worked at the Center for more than 30 years. Ms. Soutar will continue as an administrator for family day care at another center; Ms. Crawford plans to do consulting work for private centers.
Union Cries Foul on City’s Tactics
by Anne Silverstein
CSA has asked the NYC Office of Collective Bargaining to intervene in the matter of the stagnant Day Care contract. The union filed a “demand for arbitration” with the agency in January charging that the city has failed to negotiate in good faith. In February, the OCB ordered the city to respond. At this writing, CSA was awaiting the city’s response. (The city has the right to ask for a dismissal of the complaint.) CSA’s attorney Charity Guerra is handling the case for the union.
The Day Care contract expired more than 4 1/2 years ago. Negotiations have been sporadic over that time period, and the city’s focus at one time appeared to be on renegotiating health benefits. However, that series of discussions led nowhere primarily because the city’s proposal turned out to be unworkable. Meanwhile, the city has not responded to CSA’s proposal to handle the administration of Day Care Directors health benefits – through the Welfare Fund – to save money.
In other Day Care news, about 120 Day Care Directors and Assistant Directors packed the 4th floor conference room at CSA’s 16 Court Street headquarters on Feb. 11. CSA officers and staff primarily focused on political action – what individuals can do – to fight the closing of Day Care centers (see related article, Page 1). CSA Executive Vice President Peter McNally and First Vice President Randi Herman addressed the members as did government relations department staff.
