BILL NUMBER:  S5709

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to direct the office of children and family
services to examine, evaluate and make recommendations on the
availability of day care for children, and determine the unmet need of
child care subsidies; and providing for the repeal of such provisions
upon expiration thereof

 PURPOSE :

The purpose of this bill is to have the Office of Children and Family
Services (OCFS) examine, evaluate and make recommendations concerning
the availability of day care for children in this State. OCFS shall
pay particular attention to the impact of the necessary child day care
upon the ability of working families to achieve self-sufficiency and a
a better standard of living.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1: Adds a new section to direct the Office of Children and
Family Services to conduct a study that includes an evaluation and
recommendations for the availability of child care services in New
York State. OCFS shall review the impact of the lack of childcare upon
women in poverty trying to enter the workforce.

Specifically, this section directs OCFS, when conducting this study,
              

to:

*Establish an inventory of child daycare for working families and
those in or near poverty;

*Identify child day care shortage, on a regional basis and provide
projections of the future demand for the next five to ten years, based
on regional birth rates, employment rates and population growth;

*Compare, on a statewide and regional basis, the demand for Daycare
over the next five to ten years, analyzing whether the current
projected growth rate of child day care industry is sufficient to meet
the future projected need;

*Offer recommendations to the Department of Labor and any other
relevant agencies as to how the labor force can help meet the
projected shortage

*Identify policies that would both encourage the establishment and
operation of more child day care center providers and increase the
number and capacity of childcare providers;

*Assess the cost of daycare to parents and guardians on a regional
Basis, including the availability of government funds for parents and
guardians towards child care costs;

*Identify which social services districts have insufficient funding to
serve all eligible families and determine whether they are receiving
no new cases or restricting eligibility based upon set income levels;

*Identify which social services districts maintain waiting lists for
eligible families seeking child care subsidies;

*Calculate the total sum of families across the state that are
awaiting child care subsidies and the projected fiscal impact to the
state if all eligible families are served;

*Compare the income levels of families receiving child care subsidies
on a regional basis to determine what inequities exist statewide;

*Examine the use of child care funding by local social services
districts to provide transportation to child care and determine the
unmet need for this service; and

*Identify policies that would encourage and facilitate expansion of
quality child day care services by neighbors and in communities where
the working poor live and/or work and identify and quantify the
factors that contribute to establishing quality day care in
communities with the greatest need.

Section 2: Authorizes OCFS to request and receive any additional
information from any state agency it deems relevant and material to
the study.

Section 3: Directs the Commissioner to submit a report to the Governor
and Legislature, within one year of this act becoming law, on the
study's findings, conclusions and recommendations. The Commissioner
shall also submit proposed legislation to implement the
recommendations. The report is to be made publicly available on the
OCFS website.

Section 4: Provides the effective date and repeal of such act after
the report required under this act had been completed and filed.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Childcare subsidies are designed to help low-income families pay for
childcare while parents work or seek viable employment. Even though
these subsidies pay a portion of childcare costs for families at
certain income levels, only 22% of income-eligible families are
receiving subsidies.

Lack of access to affordable, quality childcare is a major impediment
for many low to moderate income families, especially for single
parents. Coupled with a discrete supply of licensed providers across
the state, parents are sometimes forced to choose between placing
their children with less reliable options or leaving them home alone.
Sadly, some parents are forced to reduce work hours or quit jobs
altogether to remain home and care for their children.

This study is an important step in quantifying the existing need in
New York State by region and examining future demand for quality child
day care. This study will not only look at the current number of
providers, but also the cost, quality, labor force, waiting lists and
transportation barriers across the state. Additionally, the study will
review the number and percentage of eligible families receiving
subsidy assistance in New York as compared to other states, and report
on any policy approaches in use in other states that could be useful
for consideration in New York State.

To help low to moderate families obtain a better standard of living
and provide their children with the best start in life possible,
availability of quality affordable child care is one of the most vital
components.

This legislation is critically important to understanding the scope of
the program on a statewide and regional basis, and providing
legislative recommendations and well-formed policy solutions for
low-to-moderate income families.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately, and shall expire and be deemed
repealed one year after it shall have become law after such study has
been issued.