{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Radio Chatskill","title":"A Closer Look at Gov. Hochul’s Affordable Child Care Proposals","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":225,"description":"As she prepares for her fourth State of the State address, Governor Kathy Hochul has been promoting what she calls an “affordability agenda.” Three components of that agenda involve child care. From the New York Public News Network, WAMC's Capital Region Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.Previewing the address, Hochul revealed plans to push for the establishment of a $110 million Child Care Construction Fund to build new child care facilities and repair existing sites.Meredith Chimento is Executive Director of the Early Care & Learning Council, a state network of 35 child care resource and referral agencies that work directly with child care programs throughout New York State. She says the governor's proposal is commendable.“ECLC applauds the efforts of the governor, moving child care assistance from 200% of the federal poverty level to the federal cap of 85% of state median income, meaning that a family of four earning $108,000 can be eligible for child care assistance,\" Chimento said. \"We encourage families to use the new online portal, which is making applying for this child care assistance even more accessible for families, or to reach out to a child care resource and referral agency throughout the state for assistance.\"Hochul says the plan only helps if there's a place to go. \"If you're in a child care desert, doesn't matter. So let's build more. Let's have the ambition to build more facilities and to populate them with more nurturing teachers and teams to support them,\" said Hochul. The Democrat’s proposal includes launching a New York Coalition for Child Care to bring together business leaders, labor unions, service providers and tax experts to identify a sustainable path forward for achieving universal child care.Business Council of New York State President & CEO Heather Mulligan says the average cost per child is $15,000 a year.\"There's only 4,200 licensed child care centers in the state. We are very supportive of investing child care facilities, and also...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/q7XXsnSXT_u4mZLCn3chUorwDmUD_kWiB272D6emB18/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80N2Uy/OGY5MWUwZThkYTEw/NDVkZGM2ZGZkZDIw/ZjliOS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}