NEW YORK – Today, Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York (CCC) Executive Director Jennifer March issued the following statement on the New York City Council’s response to Mayor Eric Adams’ Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year 2025:

“At a time when a staggering 80% of families are struggling to afford childcare in New York City, it is critical for city leaders to tackle the skyrocketing cost of living that continues to place a heavy burden on working and middle-class households. Recognizing the urgent need to address the city’s affordability crisis, the City Council in its response to the Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year 2025 outlines significant and necessary investments, and prioritizes continued access to early childhood care and education to ensure that children, families and communities thrive.

We are grateful that the Council’s response aligns with many of our policy priorities that address equity and well-being for all New Yorkers. In particular, we enthusiastically support their call to restore $170 million in funding for early childhood education programs. These programs are vital for removing barriers to access and improving community outreach efforts aimed at filling open 3K and Pre-K seats.

We stand with the Council in calling on the Adams administration to expand outreach and marketing efforts aimed to decentralize enrollment, enabling community-based providers to enroll families directly on-site. Expediting enrollment is a high priority that will benefit low-income families who need it most. Our research shows that families in the Bronx and Brooklyn – in communities where the median household income is below $50,000 – experience the highest cost-burden rates in the city.

We urge the Adams administration to restore the proposed cuts to ECE programs and implement other key investments outlined by the City Council. The city’s economic recovery hinges on the Adams administration’s ability to make critical investments that meet the needs of our communities in the adopted Fiscal Year 2025 budget.”

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About CCC 

Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York (CCC) educates and mobilizes New Yorkers to make the city a better place for children. CCC’s advocacy combines public policy research and data analysis with citizen action. CCC casts light on the issues, educates the public, engages allies and identifies and promotes practical solutions to ensure that every New York City child is healthy, housed, educated and safe. For more information about CCC, visit www.cccnewyork.org.