Page 16 - The Indian EYE 103125

NORTH AMERICAN Newsline OCTOBER 31, 2025 | The Indian Eye 16

Mayor Adams Launches of Child Care Pilot for

children of DCAS Employees as young as six weeks old

Municipal Child Care Pilot Leverages Underutilized City-Owned Space

to Operate On-Site, Affordable Child Care

OUR BUREAU
NEW YORK, NY
ew York City Mayor Eric
Adams and New York City
NDepartment of Citywide Ad-
ministrative Services (DCAS) Com-
missioner Louis A. Molina has an-
nounced $10 million to launch the
city’s first-ever Municipal Child Care
Pilot Program, which will provide
on-site and affordable child care to
DCAS employees with children as
young as six weeks old beginning in
September 2026. Today’s investment
builds on the Adams administration’s
efforts to improve municipal employ-
ee retention, ensure the City of New
York remains a competitive employ-
er of choice, increase flexibility for
working families, and make the city
more affordable for public servants.
“Making New York City the best
place to raise a family means that
families shouldn’t have to live in fear
that paying for child care will break
their bank. Families deserve better,
and, once again, our administration
is delivering for them,” said Mayor “At DCAS, we recognize that af- project completion anticipated by our workforce. We look forward to
Adams. “Today, we’re making our fordable child care is not only a fam- spring 2026. The high-quality, af- working with DCAS and our munic-
city more family friendly by launch- ily issue; it’s also a workforce issue, fordable program will be operated ipal unions to pilot worksite day care
ing New York City’s first-ever Mu- a quality-of-life issue, and an earning by a contracted child care provider for our employees.”
nicipal Child Care Pilot Program, potential and professional develop- to cater to DCAS employees with “Affordable, high-quality child
which will provide on-site, affordable ment issue — and these are all issues pre-school aged children as young as care is essential for working families,
child care for free to some of the we cannot afford to ignore,” said six weeks who are currently working including our city’s own workforce,”
public servants who are serving their DCAS Commissioner Molina. “With at the David N. Dinkins Municipal said New York City Councilmember
fellow New Yorkers. By turning un- this solution-oriented pilot, we’re Building. Gale A. Brewer. “This pilot will help
derutilized, city-owned space into a leveraging underutilized space to Accordingly, DCAS will be issu- retain and recruit talented municipal
child care centers, we’re giving back invest in our workforce. More than ing a Demonstration Project solicita- employees and strengthen the city’s
to the workers who give so much to that, we’re ensuring that the City of tion for proposals from qualified ven- commitment to equity and family
our city. This bold investment de- New York remains an attractive em- dors. Eligibility criteria for the pilot, well-being. I look forward to seeing
livers both peace of mind and will ployer for those willing to dedicate including the participating age range, the program grow.”
put money back into the pockets of their lives to public service.” is being developed in conjunction “We hear from our members
working-class New Yorkers.” The site for the child care pilot with the Office of Labor Relations time and again that paying for quali-
“City employees should not have will be located on the ground floor and city unions. The Municipal Child ty child care is one of the top barriers
to choose between their commitment of the David N. Dinkins Municipal Care Pilot Program will be closely to living and working in New York
to public service and their commit- Building, North Tower in Lower evaluated to determine if expanding City, which is why we established a
ment to parenthood,” said Deputy Manhattan ― DCAS’s headquarters the program to additional locations Child Care Trust in the last collective
Mayor for Administration and Chief and a central hub of city government is feasible. bargaining agreement,” said Henry
of Staff Camille Joseph Varlack. “At operations. The estimated $10 mil- “We know how vital child care is Garrido, executive director, District
a time when city government is fac- lion renovation will cover approxi- for our employees,” said New York Council 37 AFSCME, AFL-CIO.
ing increased competition from the mately 4,000 square feet and is being City Office of Labor Relations Com- “This pilot program is a great addi-
private sector, efforts like this pilot designed to accommodate up to 40 missioner Renee Campion. “This tional solution for making child care
are crucial to increasing the offerings children. pilot will provide needed support to more affordable and accessible for
of family benefits and access to flexi- Design and construction will be those who participate and help in- city workers, as well as for workforce
ble work arrangements.” managed in-house by DCAS, with form additional efforts to support recruitment and retention.”

www.TheIndianEYE.com