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Westchester providers warn UPK expansion could displace community-based childcare
Summary
Providers told the Families Task Force that Universal Pre-K expansions and state-run programs risk diverting 3- and 4-year-old children from community-based centers and creating gaps in care for working parents.
Several community-based providers told the Families Task Force that Universal Pre-K (UPK) expansions have unintended consequences for the local childcare market. One provider warned bluntly that "UPK is going to annihilate community based organizations," saying centers have already lost 3- and 4-year-olds to district-run programs. Providers said UPK's schedules and curriculum often stop mid-day and can leave working parents without care options for afternoons.
Task-force members and child-care advocates urged better coordination between school districts, the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) and community providers. Kathy Hallis and others said policy design needs to protect infant/toddler slots and avoid converting all early-education funding into school-based programs that community providers cannot match on schedule or service model.
