Some central and northern New York parents are missing out on a state child care subsidies that could help their bottom line.
In some communities around the state, child care subsidy dollars are available to help working families that make up to 275 percent of the federal poverty level. Currently, the Child Care Facilitated Enrollment Program funded through New York state is only operating in the Capital region, and Oneida and Monroe Counties.
Now, community leaders in central New York are starting a push for Onondaga County to join the program.
Lois Johnson, director of Workforce Strategies, a nonprofit that runs the state program, says it’s a matter of local lawmakers pushing through legislation to add Onondaga County to the list And she sees a big need for it in central New York.
“One of your number one industries here is health care, which has variable shifts, some are lower paying jobs and often are employed by women. So it is an issue,” said Johnson. “And if there is a push to expand those kind of job opportunities there has to be workforce supports to make that happen.”
But sometimes, even when subsidies are available, it can be difficult to get families to sign up.
“What we find when we do outreach originally in a county, is that most families are very proud; they don’t want to get social services, they don’t even like to think of the idea of needing help. But the truth of the matter when you are paying 50 percent of your income on child care, it doesn’t leave a lot for moving forward, buying a house, doing the things that affect long term family stability,” said Johnson.
The legislation would have to be approved by the end of the current state legislative session for subsidies to be available this year.
