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Thiele touts Assembly efforts to improve child care

Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr.
Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr.

Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. (I-Sag Harbor) has assisted in passing legislation that focuses on improving child care services so parents have “affordable, reliable safe places to send their children.”Legislation passed by the Assembly last week would improve the child care system in New York by:

• Requiring local social services districts to reimburse child care providers for at least 12 absences in a six-month period.

• Providing reimbursement to home-based child care providers at the infant rate for children up the age of 2.

• Capping co-payments for families by at no more than 20 percent of household income above the poverty level.

• Requiring simplified applications for parents applying for child care assistance.

• Establishing a task force to review administrative and regulatory requirements governing  child care programs. It would make recommendations to establish an Early Learning Investment Commission to create an online resource for child care workers to post their training and credentials on the Office of Child and Family Services website.

• Requiring an online listing of all after-school and child care programs registered by the Office of Child and Family Services and a map displaying the locations of these programs.

Based on recommendations from the Assembly’s Child Care Workshop, the 2015-16 budget includes nearly $34 million to improve child care services in the state, Mr. Thiele said.

“The investment will help ensure more hardworking families can access the quality child care services they deserve without breaking the bank,” he said.

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