Time is running out to raise wages of NY's child care workforce

Hi Ashley,   Families and child care educators are counting on Albany to take action in this year's budget to address the ongoing crisis in child care and provider wages—starting with raising wages for the child care workforce.   But time is running out—we have only days left to influence the Senate and Assembly's budget proposals. Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, Speaker Heastie, and their colleagues in the State Legislature need to hear from us NOW.   The only way to ensure that every family in the state has access to child care is by paying child care educators a thriving wage for the essential work they do. Until we guarantee that child care educators can earn a living, families will continue to struggle to find care.   The Senate and Assembly's budgets must include $1.2 billion to raise the wages of child care educators.  Only with permanent, ongoing funding can child care programs promise staff a sustained higher wage. One-time bonuses are not enough to retain experienced staff or recruit new staff.   Take the three actions below to demand the Senate and Assembly include $1.2 billion for the child care workforce in their budget proposals! 1 Call the Majority Leader & Speaker Use the script and phone numbers below! Assembly Speaker Heastie Phone #: 518-455-3791   Senator Stewart-Cousins Phone #: (518) 455-2715 2 Email Your State Legislators   Email your Senator and Assemblymember and ask them to speak up about prioritizing our $1.2 billion for the child care workforce.  3 Share on Socials   Make your voice heard on social media using this toolkit! Phone Script My name is ______________ and I am a constituent/parent/advocate/provider who is asking Speaker Heastie/Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins to include funding for the early childhood workforce and the families they serve in the one-house budget.    Early childhood educators need a permanent child care workforce fund of $1.2 billion. If there are no funds, this would be the first budget since the pandemic without support for the workforce; the workforce will experience a pay cut compared to the last two years.    We need you listen to peers and child care champions and ensure that this funding is prioritized in this year's budget negotiations. Please include funding for the child care workforce and the families that they serve in the final one-house budget! Thank you. AQENY.org | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram DONATE

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