Public Employee Press

Child care subsidies now available for more parents

Carla Rowe is a typical single working mother. On weekdays, she rises early — 6 a.m. — and gets her two children, Jasmine and Sharif, ready for the day. At 7:30, she drops 2-year-old Sharif at the Child Care Center near Brooklyn’s Downstate Medical Center and takes the train to Manhattan.

Soon she’s ready to begin her workday as a Community Liaison Worker for the Dept. of the Aging. When she gets her paycheck, day care takes out a huge chunk.

But last year, while reading PEP, the SSEU Local 371 member found information that provided vital help to her family budget. Ms. Rowe read about the union’s child care subsidy program and the benefits it offers to eligible parents. She applied and has been enrolled since September 2004.

In the subsidy program, union members who meet the financial eligibility standards pay no more than 10 percent of their income for child care. Union families in the program save substantial sums compared with “market rate” care. “It helps me out a great deal financially,” said Ms. Rowe. “My co-workers didn’t know about it either. I passed the information on to them and it has also helped them a lot.”

District Council 37 is part of the NY Union Child Care Coalition that fights for state funds for the subsidies.

“Due to the overwhelming demand from members who need the services,” explained Moira Dolan, an assistant director of DC 37’s Research Dept., “additional funds have been made available to extend the project time frame and to include members who live or work in the eligible Bronx zip codes: 10458, 10460, 10461, 10462, 10465, 10466, 10467, and 10469.”

For applications, members should call Michael Kent at 212-929-4608, ext. 226.

About $3 million will also be available for the Brooklyn program, which is expected to open in the late spring for members who live or work in these zip codes: 11206, 11212, 11213, 11216, 11221, 11233, and 11237. Members should watch for enrollment events at their work locations.

Plenty of funding is still available for enrollment in the Liberty Zone in Manhattan. Eligible members who live or work below 14th Street should contact Cindy DeSonges at 212-809-3619, ext. 11, for applications.

“This is a great program,” said Ms. Rowe. “I strongly encourage other union members to take advantage of this benefit.” To do so, your income must be below $34,348 for a family of two and $51,838 for a family of four.