Latest news with #earlychildhoodeducation
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘I did it': Cuomo claims credit for NYC's universal pre-K program, stoking outrage
NEW YORK — Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo claimed credit Monday for the creation of New York City's universal pre-K program, an initiative that's widely viewed as the brainchild of his longtime political nemesis, ex-Mayor Bill de Blasio. Cuomo, who's running as an independent candidate in November's election for New York City mayor, staked out his position during an appearance on WNYC after being asked if he agrees de Blasio spearheaded the 2014 launch of the popular early childhood education program. 'No, he didn't,' replied Cuomo, who as governor frequently clashed with de Blasio. 'The state did it — I did it.' The city's universal pre-K program, which provides free full-day child care for every 4-year-old in the five boroughs, got off the ground in September 2014 after de Blasio made it the main objective of his early days as mayor. Administered by the city Department of Education, the program's launch was undergirded by a hefty tranche of funding included in that year's state budget, meaning Albany played a key role in getting the initiative across the finish line. However, the program itself was proposed and designed by de Blasio's administration, and the former mayor has long said Albany, including then-Gov. Cuomo, only came around to backing a state funding increase after relentless advocacy from his City Hall team. Asked for clarity on Cuomo's radio comments, his spokesman Rich Azzopardi said the ex-governor was referring to a small-scale pre-K pilot program he launched on the state level in 2013 before de Blasio became mayor. Azzopardi also took a shot at de Blasio for initially pushing Albany for a state-level tax increase on the wealthy to bankroll the universal pre-K program. 'His point was that de Blasio wanted a tax increase for the sake of a tax increase, and Gov. Cuomo was able to build upon the pilot program he launched prior to de Blasio's election and deliver those pre-K slots not only to the city, but also the rest of the state with existing resources,' Azzopardi said. De Blasio didn't immediately return a request for comment Monday. Some de Blasio defenders stepped in to accuse Cuomo of rewriting history in light of his radio remarks. City Council Finance Committee Chairman Justin Brannan, who as a senior city Department of Education official helped with the rollout of universal pre-K in 2014, said Cuomo's comments made him feel like his 'head is going to explode.' 'And I built the Verrazzano Bridge with my bare hands,' Brannan added. 'Andrew Cuomo lives in his own reality. Facts don't matter,' Ana Maria Archila, the New York Working Families Party's co-director, piled on in a post on X. 'He makes up stories and then just expects people to fall in line.' In a press conference held this past April to celebrate a funding increase for the pre-K program, de Blasio hinted at the grueling battle his administration got into with Cuomo's administration in 2014. 'I went to Albany, and I found a door that was closed quite often and a lack of support — and we had to fight and fight and fight to finally get what our children deserved,' he said at that press conference. 'You either stand for early childhood education or you don't, and I just think everyone's record should be remembered.' The 2014 feud is reemerging at a time Cuomo faces a deja vu of sorts over policies related to taxation and childcare — albeit from a very different angle. Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor who's polling as the favorite to win November's election, has proposed vastly expanding free childcare in the city so that kids between the ages of 6 weeks and 5 years are entitled to it. In order to fund such a drastic expansion, Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has proposed increasing taxes on corporations and millionaires. Cuomo and other critics of Mamdani, including Mayor Eric Adams, who's also running as an independent in November's election, have argued Mamdani's proposals are unrealistic, saying, in particular, that there's no way Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers will agree to tax hikes next year. In his WNYC appearance, Cuomo — who raised taxes on millionaires in 2021 — reiterated his belief that Mamdani wouldn't be able to secure any tax hikes in Albany in 2026. 'That is not going to happen,' said Cuomo, who resigned as governor in August 2021 amid sexual and professional misconduct accusations he denies. ____ _____
CBC
21-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
New child-care spaces are great, but advocate says ECEs need more acknowledgment
The provincial government recently announced hundreds of new affordable child-care spaces, but the advocacy group ABCs and ECEs also wants to see early childhood educators recognized for their accomplishments. Founding member Erin Cullen has written Premier John Hogan in search of that recognition, and spoke about it with the CBC's Heather Gillis.
RNZ News
17-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Do people earning $200,000 need help with childcare?
High-earners were previously not eligible for Family Boost payments at all. (File photo) Photo: 123RF Government "choices" mean some of the families now receiving Family Boost payments for their early childhood education are among the 10 percent wealthiest in the country, an economist says. A revamp to the Family Boost programme means those with household incomes up to $229,100 a year are now eligible for support with their childcare fees. The available rebate is also increasing to 40 percent of fees paid, or a maximum of $1560 a quarter. The change applies to fees paid in the September quarter, and from then on. But Craig Renney, policy director of the Council of Trade Unions and an economist who was previously a senior economic adviser to then-Finance Minister Grant Robertson, said there were "choices" being made. He said those on the highest incomes, in the top 10 percent according to the Stats NZ Household Expenditure Survey, were benefiting the most from the change. "If your household earns $60,000 a year, you can get up to an extra $2340 annually in new support. If your household earns three times that, $180,000 - you will get an extra $3440 annually. That's 47 percent more. For exactly the same thing - having children in early childhood education." The difference was because the higher earners were previously not eligible at all. Renney said data also showed higher-earning households tended to spend more on early childhood education anyway, which meant they would have larger fees to claim rebates on. Most were already spending the money without the government's assistance, he said. It could have been better used to help make early childhood education more affordable or accessible to low or middle-income earners, he said. "Instead of having a 40 percent cap across the piece that could be claimed, you could have said for very low income households we'll make it 50, 60 or 100 percent. "Because this is a rebate scheme, those on low incomes don't have the money to be able to afford it in the first place to then get the rebate. "I'm not saying these families don't need the money but I'm saying if you were making choices about where to spend, for a government that's focused on value for money - you may get better outcomes for your dollar if you were actually spending it on expanding ECE provision in low-income communities." Asked whether the adjustment would affect the number of families who could receive the full $250-a-fortnight relief that National campaigned on before the last election, as a combination of the Family Boost package and tax cuts, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said that data was not available. Finance Minister Nicola Willis said about 60,000 families had received the full FamilyBoost payment they were entitled to. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii "The National Party campaigned on a tax relief plan that included multiple elements - shifting tax brackets to compensate for inflation, expanding tax credits to reach more modest income earners, increasing Working for Families tax credits and introducing the FamilyBoost childcare tax credit. "We delivered on these policies in our first Budget. We made clear that the impact of these policies would vary according to family circumstances and encouraged people to use our tax calculator so they could find out what it would mean for them." She said the $250 example was a family with a household income of $120,000 split across two earners spending at least $300 a week on childcare. "We did not model how many families would match that scenario. "Inland Revenue is not geared up to calculate how many people would have matched that scenario in the past 12 months or will match it in the coming years. This is because some elements of the tax plan are calculated on an individual basis while others, including FamilyBoost, are calculated according to household income. Inland Revenue does not routinely collect information on household incomes." She said about 60,000 families had received the full FamilyBoost payment they were entitled to. With the scheme expansion, she said, about 16,000 more families would probably benefit. "The amount of rebate they receive will vary according to the fees they pay and the income they earn each quarter. The maximum a family can now receive from FamilyBoost is $240, an increase on the $150 that National campaigned on. "To receive that amount, a family would have to be spending at least $300 a week on childcare and have a combined family income of less than $140,000 a year. Inland Revenue does not calculate how many families find themselves in that circumstance." Child Poverty Action Group spokesperson Isaac Gunson said his organisation's position was that the rebate was the most flawed part of the Family Boost programme because it relied on families having the money in the first place to pay the fee then wait to claim it back. "The direct fee refund model, which IRD is looking into, is where we see the real solution being. Placing the responsibility on the profit-driven providers to claim the money back lifts the burden off low-income families who need the support the most. "While larger rebates would deepen the support available to low income families, it doesn't really address the accessibility of the support, whereas a direct fee refund model would solve the issue the rebate presents to many families: they don't have the money and can't wait that long to see any of that money come back in." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Forbes
17-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Investing In Early Childhood Builds A Stronger Workforce
Kendra Davenport is the President and CEO of Easterseals. We talk a lot about the future of the workforce—about building pipelines, recruiting talent and reskilling employees to meet the demands of a rapidly changing economy. But we often overlook when the foundation of that future truly begins: the first five years of life. Did you know that most brain development occurs before the age of five? This lays the critical foundation for learning, behavior and health. For corporate leaders concerned with long-term productivity, talent pipelines and even the health of local economies, supporting early learning is smart business. Our organization sees this connection every day. Through our Head Start and Early Head Start programs, we provide no-cost, high-quality preschool education to children from low-income families. We prepare children from ages 0-5 with and without disabilities to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. But just as importantly, we provide parents with services that enable children to participate in early childhood education programs, including housing and employment assistance, food security and transportation. Why Should Early Childhood Education Matter To Employers? When families can access reliable early childhood programs, they're able to stay in the workforce. If not for certain early childhood programs, the cost of childcare could push many parents out of the workforce altogether. That's not an isolated issue. The U.S. economy loses an estimated $78 billion annually due to insufficient childcare—through lost earnings, productivity and tax revenue. Businesses alone absorb over $13 billion of that loss in absenteeism. We're paying the price for not investing in our youngest learners. But the benefits of high-quality early education go far beyond workforce participation. Decades of research have shown its ripple effects on educational attainment, public health and economic mobility. For example, an MIT study of Boston's universal preschool program revealed that children who won a preschool seat through a randomized lottery were significantly more likely to graduate from high school, enroll in college on time and avoid suspension or juvenile detention. The academic outcomes are just as compelling. One study found that "children who participate in two years of Head Start (as opposed to one year) have stronger academic, cognitive, and social literacy skills upon exiting" the program and going to kindergarten. These are more than just kindergarten milestones; they're the building blocks for lifelong learning and employability. According to Georgetown University, by 2031, 72% of U.S. jobs will require a college degree. High-quality early childhood education puts kids on a trajectory toward success. For business leaders thinking about the workforce of tomorrow, the lesson is clear: If we want a pipeline of skilled, healthy and resilient workers, we need to start building these foundational skills in preschool. Supporting Early Childhood Education Investing in early childhood programs is a critical way businesses can ensure they are investing in the future of the workforce, but they can also support early childhood education in many impactful ways beyond direct investment in programs. Employers can provide childcare benefits or subsidies that make quality care affordable for working parents, offer flexible work schedules to accommodate caregiving needs and create partnerships with local early learning centers to expand access. Some companies invest in community early education initiatives or sponsor parental education programs to strengthen family engagement. By adopting family-friendly workplace policies and supporting early learning broadly, businesses not only stabilize their workforce but can also help foster healthier communities that sustain long-term economic growth. Support for early childhood is a vital investment in talent development, employee stability and community resilience. It's a strategy that yields returns in workforce readiness, economic growth and stronger families, and it's our nation's hardest-hitting tool for building a workforce that works for everyone. Forbes Nonprofit Council is an invitation-only organization for chief executives in successful nonprofit organizations. Do I qualify?
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Dr Martyn Mills-Bayne: Parents are feeling anxious about men in childcare centres: This is what needs to be done
Horrific allegations of child sexual abuse in childcare centres across Melbourne have put the role of men in early childhood education back in the spotlight. Coming after other major media reports of child mistreatment in care, many parents are feeling very anxious about the safety of their children. Some may be deeply suspicious of men working so closely with children. That caution is totally justified. But there are many innocent, well-intentioned and caring men working in centres across the country. They're playing a vital role in a sector already plagued by well-documented staff shortages. Driving them out of the workforce would be a mistake for the sector, for parents and for children. Hyper-viligant behaviour Men are still a rarity in childcare centres nationally. The latest workforce data show about 8 per cent of early childhood educators are male, though that statistic could include men who don't work with children directly. We don't know precisely how many early childhood educators are male, but best estimates are somewhere between 2–4 per cent of the total workforce. Given there are so few of them, male educators often report being hyper-vigilant about how they do their jobs. I was once an early childhood teacher myself. Now in my academic research, I've spent almost 20 years mentoring men in the sector, including close to 100 male students coming through initial teacher education programs. They are extremely aware of protecting children and themselves. They talk about trying to make sure they're never alone with children and use distancing strategies to keep themselves safe and in full view of colleagues and parents. If they're changing nappies, they do so in open spaces, where others can see them. If a child is hurt or needs support, they often think twice about the most appropriate way to provide it. The men I hear from feel they are surveilled and monitored more closely than their female colleagues. Male educators must use a heightened degree of caution in their day-to-day caring work due to broad (largely unspoken) suspicions of sexual misconduct. This is an inherent part of being a male early childhood educator. There's been no research done to determine whether men are watched more closely than women, but regardless, most don't begrudge it. They fear ever harming a child, and would rather the extra supervision, perceived or real, to make everyone feel safer. Leaving the sector But early childhood education has an issue with worker attrition. This is especially concerning as pre-school for three-year-olds is rolled out in South Australia, Victoria and the ACT, increasing the demand for staff and pressure on services to meet staff ratios and keep children safe. Against this backdrop, it's crucial we stem the tide of workers leaving the sector, including men. Unfortunately, men are often the first to leave, especially after cases of sexual abuse at other centres. In New Zealand, Peter Ellis was jailed in the 1990s for child sexual abuse in a creche, though his conviction was overturned posthumously in 2022. The high profile case had long lasting negative impacts. Less than 1% of the childcare workforce in the country are men - one of the lowest participation rates in the world. Parental and societal concerns around the risk of abuse have a profound impact on retaining and attracting more male educators in early childhood education. This is also true at the student level. Typically, I see very few men enrol to study early childhood education (about four in a cohort of 150), but only about half that graduate. Many of these potential early childhood teachers drop their studies or move into primary teaching programs after they experience a sense of distrust during their professional placements in childcare. Keeping children safer Children who are abused experience lifelong trauma. Keeping them safe at all times should be the number one priority of educators and society at large. The Melbourne case has left many parents rightly cautious and feeling uncertain about leaving their children in the care of men. We may well see less interest from centres in employing men, as has happened after similar cases in the past. This would build on existing suspicions parents have of male educators. There's no easy answer to this. But there are some things that may make early education safer. The first is to strengthen working with children screening checks, something the Victorian government has already flagged it will do. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has also announced a statewide register of childcare workers to introduce 'an extra layer of checks and balances'. Another is to ensure no educator, regardless of gender, is ever alone with a child. Though this may be challenging to achieve within tight staffing levels, it's needed to prevent future abuse. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse highlighted the need to make sure the physical environment minimises opportunity for abuse to occur. This includes glass walls around toilet and nappy change areas and no blind spots in centres. And finally, for parents to be scared and angry about this is to be human. But it's also important to remember many men are doing the right thing, and male educators in the sector are also angry and concerned about this. Better processes and regulations would help restore confidence in parents that their children are safe in a man's care. But it would also help male educators, who can do their work safe in the knowledge they've passed a robust set of requirements to get there. Dr Martyn Mills-Bayne is a senior lecturer in Early Childhood Education at the University of South Australia. He has taught Initial Teacher Education across early childhood and primary programs for over 17 years. Before becoming a university teacher educator, he taught in junior primary schools and preschools across Adelaide's North and North-East suburbs.
