“Promise NYC Initiative Aids Undocumented Children with Child Care”

Angela arrived seeking asylum in NY seven months ago with her two children. The youngest of one year and eight months was accepted into the Promise NYC program, and according to her mother, it has changed their lives.

“Now we can go to work and I am very grateful for the change. It has been a lot from when we got to now with the child, the change both emotionally and in food, as in his way of being,” said Ángela.

Promise NYC is a city initiative that covers the cost of child care for 600 children who are ineligible for federal aid due to their immigration status or that of their families.

The program will be in force until June 30, so this Monday several activists and public officials asked to extend its validity and increase the funds in the municipal budget to 20 million dollars for the next fiscal year.

“The budget was only 10 million, and that was only enough for 6 months. They gave us a limit of 600 across the 5 counties, so for Queens we have enrolled over 200, but the larger budget would give us the opportunity to cover more families,” said Andrés Moreno, Promise NYC.

“There is no excuse for saying that two- and three-year-olds from undocumented families don’t deserve the same care and access to day care as everyone else, it’s just discriminatory,” said NYC Comptroller Brad Lander.

Families whose income is less than $54,000 between two people also qualify for this child care subsidy.

“Promise NYC gives families of undocumented children who have been excluded from early care and education programs like early learn, 3K and preK programs an opportunity,” said Betty Melo of Advocates for Children NYC. “It gives them the opportunity to attend these programs.”

The 10 million last year was the first time the city invested and I think the Priomise NYC program, the program officially launched in January so a lot of the newcomer families if they could were eligible.