>>Funding for Chasing the Dream is Provided by the

JPB Foundation and the Ford Foundation.

>> WORKING FAMILIES FACE SEVERAL CHALLENGES TO MAKE

ENDS MEET.

ONE OF THEM IS THE INCREASINGLY STEEP COST OF

CHILD CARE.

SOME PARENTS SAY THEY HAVE TO RETURN TO WORK.

FOR LOW-INCOME PARENTS, THAT MEANS TURNING TO THE

GOVERNMENT TO HELP PAY FOR CHILD CARE.

TOMEICO HAYNES IS A SINGLE MOM.

SHE WORKS DRAWING BLOOD.

SHE HAD TO WAIT FOR A SUBSIDY FOR A YEAR.

>> WE DID A LOT OF ROMAN NOODLE DIETS AT THAT

PERIOD OF OUR LIVES AND THEN MY MOM BEING THE NICE

PERSON THAT SHE IS, WHICH IS A GREAT MOM, SHE WOULD

BUY A LITTLE BIT OF GROCERIES BEFORE SHE

LEAVES, YOU KNOW, TO GO BACK FOR THE WEEK.

THE SO IT WAS TOUGH.

PAYING RENT, MY LANDLORD WAS REALLY GOOD TO ME.

WHENEVER YOU GET IT, GIVE IT.

BUT THAT PILED UP.

>> PAYING FOR CHILD CARE IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST

EXPENSES FACING WORKING FAMILIES.

ON AVERAGE, PARENTS PAY ANYWHERE FROM $7,000 TO

$15,000 A YEAR FOR CARE.

IN NEW YORK CITY, THAT COST CAN REACH AS HIGH AS

$30,000 TO $40,000.

THAT'S EITHER PAID OUT OF POCKET OR ABSORBED WHEN A

PARENT DROPS OUT OF THE WORK FORCE TO CARE FOR

CHILDREN.

THIS HAS BEEN SEEN AS A FAMILY MATTER OR

WOMEN'S-ONLY ISSUE.

BUT LOIS JOHNSON SAYS THIS IS ACTUALLY AN ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT ISSUE.

>> KEEPING PEOPLE THE ABILITY TO BE EMPLOYED AND

TO BE PRODUCTIVE AND TO TAKE RAISES AND TO TAKE ON

MORE RESPONSIBILITY AND GET PROMOTIONS IS THE ONLY

WAY THAT WE ARE GOING TO MOVE FAMILIES OUT OF

POVERTY.

IF WE PENALIZE THEM FOR THAT, THEN WE'RE NOT ONLY

JEOPARDIZING THAT INDIVIDUAL FAMILY, BUT

WE'RE ALSO JEOPARDIZING THAT BUSINESS THAT EMPLOYS

THEM.

>> JOHNSON SAYS NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND SAFE,

RELIABLE CHILD CARE CAN COST THE ECONOMY AS MUCH

AS $3 BILLION ANNUALLY IN LOST PRODUCTIVITY.

THAT'S WHY THE WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE

CONNECTS PARENTS TO THE NEEDED GOVERNMENT

SUBSIDIES TO HELP THEM ABSORB THE COST.

UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE SUBSIDIES AREN'T ALWAYS

FULLY FUNDED.

>> TO BE HONEST, WE'VE HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING CHILD

CARE AND THE WHOLE ISSUE OF EARLY LEARNING ON THE

PAGE AS MUCH AS WE WOULD LIKE.

>> THIS YEAR'S STATE BUDGET INCLUDES $135

MILLION EARMARKED FOR CHILD CARE SUBSIDIES FOR

LOW-INCOME FAMILIES, AN INCREASE OF $30 MILLION.

BUT AS WITH MANY THINGS IN GOVERNMENT, THE BREAKDOWN

OF EXACTLY HOW THAT MONEY GETS ALLOCATED CAN GET

CLOUDY.

>> WHERE DO THESE MONIES GO?

HOW ARE THEY DISTRIBUTED?

WHO DETERMINES WHAT THE MARKET RATE IS?

>> THE CHAIRMAN OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SAYS

IT'S GETTING MORE DIFFICULT FOR PROVIDER AS

WELL.

THE $5 BILLION NATIONALLY INCREASED SAFETY

REQUIREMENTS.

JOHNSON WITH THE WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT

INSTITUTE SAYS IT'S ANOTHER BURDEN ON AN

ALREADY STRESSED INDUSTRY.

>> THE BUSINESS OF CARING FOR OUR YOUNG CHILDREN IS

NOT A PROFITABLE BUSINESS GENERALLY.

YOU HAVE MANY OF THE EMPLOYEES, MANY WHO HAVE

ASSOCIATE'S OR BACHELOR'S DEGREES MAKING MINIMUM

WAGE OR A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, WHICH IS CERTAINLY

NOT COMPENSATING THEM ADEQUATELY.

BUT RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE TO $15 AN HOUR, WHICH

WE TOTALLY SUPPORT HERE, NO ONE'S REALLY TALKING

EXCEPT FOR THE EARLY CHILDHOOD FOLKS ABOUT THE

IMPACT THAT THAT'S GOING TO HAVE ON THEIR ABILITY

TO KEEP THEIR DOORS OPEN.

>> THE CONCERNS OF THE COST OF CHILD CARE ARE

BEING HEARD ACROSS THE STATE.

ASSEMBLYMAN MARCOS CRESPO IS AN ADVOCATE FOR

AFFORDABLE CARE.

HE SAYS IT'S A CRUCIAL PIECE TO ADDRESSING THE

STATE ECONOMY.

ESPECIALLY UPSTATE.

>> PARENTS WHO ARE WORKING OFTENTIMES TWO JOBS NEED

THE FLEXIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE CHILDREN

ARE PROVIDED FOR AND TAKEN CARE OF WHILE THEY GO OUT

AND WORK.

>> WHILE FUNDING NEEDS TO BE THERE FOR PARENTS

LIVING IN POVERTY, ALL NEW YORK PARENTS NEED THE

SUPPORT, -- AN ISSUE HE UNDERSTANDS FIRSTHAND.

>> I WORK IN ALBANY.

MY WIFE RUNS A SMALL BUSINESS.

WE HAD THIS CHALLENGE LIKE MOST TRADITIONAL CULTURAL

FAMILIES.

I BELIEVE ONE OF US NEEDED TO STAY HOME AND BE WITH

OUR CHILDREN.

WE COULDN'T MAKE THAT CHOICE ECONOMICALLY.

WE BOTH HAD TO WORK.

BUT ALSO WE REALIZED OVERTIME THAT MY DAUGHTERS

BEING ABLE TO ATTEND A CHILD CARE CENTER EARLY ON

GAVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO PREPARE ACADEMICALLY

AND IN SO MANY SOCIAL WAYS BETTER THAN ANYTHING WE

COULD HAVE HOPED TO DO AT HOME OURSELVES.

>> HAYNES SAYS MORE LEGISLATORS SHOULD LOOK AT

CHILD CARE AS PART OF THEIR LARGER ECONOMIC

PLAN.

PEOPLE LIKE HERSELF ARE DOING THEIR PART.

AND THE LTS SUPPORT FROM THE GOVERNMENT MAKES FOR A

BETTER COMMUNITY.

>> I'M A BIG CANDIDATE OF BELIEVING THAT IF YOU WORK

HARD AND YOU'RE PUTTING IN THAT TIME, YOU DESERVE A

LITTLE BIT OF HELP.

>> TOMEICO SAYS SHE'S NOT SURE SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN

ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PAY FOR CHILD CARE WITHOUT THE

SUBSIDIES.

SHE THINKS MORE PARENTS WOULD REJOIN THE WORK

FORCE IF THAT WAS GUARANTEED.

>>Funding for Chasing the Dream is Provided by the

JPB Foundation and the Ford Foundation.