“I’m very pleased that Speaker Mark-Viverito and Mayor de Blasio worked with us to restore $10 million for Priority 5 child-care vouchers for low-income families in our communities. As a member of the Speaker’s Leadership Team and a strong ally of the Mayor’s, I know that these vouchers were a high priority for both of them in this budget cycle. This budget reflects a new commitment to work with families in all of our communities to provide the support they need. In addition to historic commitments to Universal Pre-K and after-school programs, the Priority 5 vouchers will make a difference for thousands of families who are currently struggling to make ends meet.

“Praise goes to all of the Council Members who fought hard for these vouchers, especially Jewish Caucus Chair Mark Levine, Land Use Chair David Greenfield, General Welfare Chair Steve Levin, and Nonpublic Schools Subcommittee Chair Chaim Deutsch. Credit also goes to the advocates, community-based organizations, child-care providers, and yeshivas who consistently stood up for our families in recent years, to make sure they were not forgotten.”

(YWN Desk – NYC)