Directs the office of children and family services to study, make recommendations on and report on child day care and the availability of funding therefor

Specifically, this section directs OCFS, when conducting this study, to:

*Establish an inventory of child daycare for working families and those in or near poverty;

*Identify child day care shortage, on a regional basis and provide projections of the future demand for the next five to ten years, based on regional birth rates, employment rates and population growth;

*Compare, on a statewide and regional basis, the demand for Daycare over the next five to ten years, analyzing whether the current projected growth rate of child day care industry is sufficient to meet the future projected need;

*Offer recommendations to the Department of Labor and any other relevant agencies as to how the labor force can help meet the projected shortage

*Identify policies that would both encourage the establishment and operation of more child day care center providers and increase the number and capacity of childcare providers;

*Assess the cost of daycare to parents and guardians on a regional Basis, including the availability of government funds for parents and guardians towards child care costs;

*Identify which social services districts have insufficient funding to serve all eligible families and determine whether they are receiving no new cases or restricting eligibility based upon set income levels;

*Identify which social services districts maintain waiting lists for eligible families seeking child care subsidies;

*Calculate the total sum of families across the state that are awaiting child care subsidies and the projected fiscal impact to the state if all eligible families are served;

*Compare the income levels of families receiving child care subsidies on a regional basis to determine what inequities exist statewide;

*Examine the use of child care funding by local social services districts to provide transportation to child care and determine the unmet need for this service; and

*Identify policies that would encourage and facilitate expansion of quality child day care services by neighbors and in communities where the working poor live and/or work and identify and quantify the factors that contribute to establishing quality day care in communities with the greatest need.

Section 2: Authorizes OCFS to request and receive any additional information from any state agency it deems relevant and material to the study.

Section 3: Directs the Commissioner to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature, within one year of this act becoming law, on the study's findings, conclusions and recommendations. The Commissioner shall also submit proposed legislation to implement the recommendations. The report is to be made publicly available on the OCFS website.

Section 4: Provides the effective date and repeal of such act after the report required under this act had been completed and filed.

Justification

Childcare subsidies are designed to help low-income families pay for childcare while parents work or seek viable employment. Even though these subsidies pay a portion of childcare costs for families at certain income levels, only 22% of income-eligible families are receiving subsidies.

Lack of access to affordable, quality childcare is a major impediment for many low to moderate income families, especially for single parents. Coupled with a discrete supply of licensed providers across the state, parents are sometimes forced to choose between placing their children with less reliable options or leaving them home alone. Sadly, some parents are forced to reduce work hours or quit jobs altogether to remain home and care for their children.

This study is an important step in quantifying the existing need in New York State by region and examining future demand for quality child day care. This study will not only look at the current number of providers, but also the cost, quality, labor force, waiting lists and transportation barriers across the state. Additionally, the study will review the number and percentage of eligible families receiving subsidy assistance in New York as compared to other states, and report on any policy approaches in use in other states that could be useful for consideration in New York State.

To help low to moderate families obtain a better standard of living and provide their children with the best start in life possible, availability of quality affordable child care is one of the most vital components.

This legislation is critically important to understanding the scope of the program on a statewide and regional basis, and providing legislative recommendations and well-formed policy solutions for low-to-moderate income families.

Legislative history

New bill. FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately, and shall expire and be deemed repealed one year after it shall have become law after such study has been issued.