New York — Mayor Michael Bloomberg released an executive budget today that restores only $40 million of the $91 million that he cut from child care. The Mayor’s proposed budget would force thousands of children out of child care altogether and would move thousands of other children from full child care to partial child care programs, which cost less and also provide children with less robust services.

Yesterday, the Administration leaked an inaccurate story that they were “restoring” child care funding. The reality is that the new budget proposal would be just as devastating to thousands of families. In the Mayor’s plan only 4,400 of 16,500 children would continue to receive their current child care. An additional 10,000 would receive limited child care services and over 1,000 children will receive no child care at all.

“With the budget released today, the administration is continuing its assault on early childhood education by cutting $50 million from our city’s child care,” said Councilman Steve Levin. “It is an outrageous sleight of hand that this administration would present itself as the savior of child care while simultaneously destroying it for thousands of New Yorkers. It’s like someone starting a fire, just so he could take the credit for putting 40% of that fire out.”

“The administration is being nothing short of dishonest when they say they have saved child care. In fact, their revised budget proposal would still decimate child care in New York City,” said Councilman David G. Greenfield. “The Mayor is proposing the single largest cut to child care in our City’s history. The message he is sending is unmistakable: our children are simply not worth funding.”

“This is a massive and unacceptable cut to child care,” said Councilman Brad Lander. “Thousands of children and families will be hung out to dry in the Mayor’s proposal. We need a full restoration of the Mayor’s $91 million cut.”

“This is classic bait and switch,” said Councilman Jumaane Williams. “I haven’t seen this kind of shell game since the old Times Square. The Mayor leaked a story yesterday saying that he was saving child care but this morning we find out that thousands of children will have no child care next year. The Mayor should just be honest and say that children are not his priority.”

“Year after year, the Mayor has cut vital services to low-income kids and families,” said Councilwoman Letitia James. “This year, he’s decimating child care in our communities. A clever press strategy can’t hide a $50 million cut.”

“Today’s budget proposal was a half-measure, helping some kids at the expense of others. It gives with one hand and takes with the other and it ignores the needs of some entire communities,” concluded Councilman Lew Fidler, Chairman of the Youth Services Committee.

(YWN Desk – NYC)