Applying for a New York City program to help families offset child care costs can be so onerous that many providers say seats remain unfilled even as most parents across the five boroughs can’t afford to pay.
“There’s all kinds of places along the route where families can make errors or be deemed ineligible,” said Debra Sue Lorenzen, director of youth and education for St. Nicks Alliance, which helps low- and moderate-income families and runs an early childhood program.
New Yorkers who earn below certain income levels and meet other work or education requirements can qualify for year-round subsidized care for their children five years old or younger. The program, known as extended day and year care, offers longer day care hours that extend through the summer, unlike the city’s free programs for 3- and 4-year-olds, which mirror the school calendar and run for six hours a day.
Early childhood experts say the extended day program is a missed opportunity to help more working-class families, at a time when 80% of New Yorkers can’t afford the cost of child care and as the city’s universal preschool program faces an overhaul through the recent budget deal reached between the Adams administration and the City Council.
The agreement will restore some of Mayor Eric Adams’ cuts to 3-K and pre-K and better ensure seats are allocated properly after 2,500 families didn’t initially receive spots for their 3-year-olds.
But as demand for affordable child care reaches a fever pitch and drives young families to leave the city, providers said there are too many hurdles for parents who may be eligible for low-cost or free care. They either don’t know a program exists or the application is too complicated and takes too long to approve.
Gothamist spoke to program providers about how families can best navigate applying for extended day programs. Here’s what you need to know.
What is extended day and year care?
The extended day and year program offers families care either for 225 or 261 days a year, either for eight or 10 hours a day. By comparison, the city’s universal 3-K or pre-K programs provide child care for six hours and 20 minutes a day, for 180 days a year, though some of the programs offer longer hours for a fee.
Extended day programs are paid for with federal grant money. While the state sets income limits and other requirements, it’s up to the city’s Department of Education to approve applications.
“We’ve had families who are in the shelter system. We have families who are working professionals and we have families who work at McDonald’s or at Trader Joe’s,” said Breahna Watkins-Cole, program director of early childhood education at Henry Street Settlement.
Most extended day seats are for 3- and 4-year-olds but there are some seats for infants and toddlers, too.
Who is eligible for extended day and year care?
Providers say the requirements are strict and families frequently stumble through the required paperwork. Think about it like the Goldilocks for eligibility: Parents need to prove they don’t earn more than the qualifying income but also don’t earn too little otherwise they would be eligible for lower-income programs like Head Start or a state voucher.
“There’s all these little rules and determinations that make it really hard for you to actually get into the program,” said Nora Moran, director of policy and advocacy at United Neighborhood Houses.
All caregivers listed in the application need to meet the income threshold and at least meet one of the following requirements. If a parent is not working, they need to be in an educational or vocational training program or seeking work. Families in temporary housing or in a shelter are also eligible, as are families receiving services for domestic violence or substance abuse.
What are the income requirements?
Parents must earn at least $16 an hour and work 10 hours a week to be eligible, providers said.
According to state requirements, a family of two needs to earn $73,869.56 or less annually to qualify. A family of three needs to earn $91,250.63 or less a year to qualify. And a family of four needs to earn $108,631.70 or less in gross annual income a year to qualify.
However, families receiving cash assistance will be denied from the extended care, providers said. That’s because those families are lower income and are eligible for a state voucher through the city’s Human Resources Administration. These vouchers can be used for children older than 5 and for after-school services as well.
Applicants must provide consecutive pay stubs to prove their income. That can be four weekly pay stubs if the pay stays the same or 12 weekly stubs, if pay varies. Parents who are paid biweekly must show two consecutive pay stubs if the pay is the same or six pay stubs if the pay varies.
“We’ve noticed that if our families have income, such as Uber or Lyft workers, they tend to get denied the first time because they want more information,” Watkins-Cole said. “It could be something they need like all the pages of your 1099, or they need your taxes for last year to prove your income, or you need a letter to say that now that your child’s in school, you’ll be making more hours. You make more money if you’re just shy of the amount.”
What other paperwork is needed?
Families will need to show an unexpired photo ID, which can be an IDNYC or driver’s license. They might also need a copy of the child’s birth certificate, passport, or if they’re immigrants, a residency or green card.
Paperwork must also be submitted for any children under 18 years old living in the home. Every working member in the family needs an employer letter or pay stubs to prove income.
How long does the process take?
Providers say time is one of the biggest hurdles; an application can take 30 days or longer before it is approved or denied.
“Who has time to wait that long in order to get their application approved?” Moran said. “Most working parents need care now.”
The state requires that applications be processed within a month of being submitted but the city’s Department of Education said they’ve decreased the average wait time from more than three months to two weeks.
How often are applications denied?
The education department says in the 2022-23 school year, 18,367 applications were submitted and 13,193 were approved. That’s a 72% acceptance rate.
Applications are typically denied if a family does not meet the income requirement or is missing required paperwork despite attempts by school officials to obtain missing documents, the department said.
Lorenzen said staff at child care centers must often make multiple attempts to help a family get approved, but providers aren’t compensated for the hours it takes families to navigate the system.
Other providers help families fill out the application even if it’s for other programs in the community.
What are other obstacles for families?
Child care providers say some families are put off by how cumbersome and invasive the application process can be. And it can be more challenging for non-English-speaking families.
“Maybe somebody in their family is undocumented, maybe they tried the previous year and it was a hassle and a half and they don’t want to do it again,” Lorenzen said. “People have all kinds of reasons why they won’t entrust this kind of information to a public agency.”
Only the child receiving services needs to have citizenship or legal immigration status; the parents do not.
How can families apply?
Providers recommend that parents contact a program in their neighborhood and request help navigating the application.
They can also apply through the MyCity portal online. The education department says parents can visit a Family Welcome Center for help or email [email protected] for any questions or support.
When should families apply?
Families can apply year-round to qualify for extended day care.
It’s important to understand getting approval for extended day coverage is just the first step of the process. Families must also apply for a slot at a child care center.
Families with children under 3 can apply to a provider directly. Parents with 3- or 4-year-olds must use the MySchools portal to apply for the city’s 3-K and pre-K programs and can select from extended day and year programs on the lists.
If a child is placed in an extended-year program, then the family must be approved for the subsidy. But providers say that makes the process confusing because many families don’t know what extended day and year means or don’t understand there’s a second step in applying for the program.
Is there a fee?
There is a small fee that can range from $1-$19 a week, according to providers. That is determined based on a family’s income.
What can be improved?
Providers said the city needs to improve its outreach efforts, not only let families know about their options but also to help them navigate it.
“There’s been sort of a documented history that the Adams administration hasn’t, until this point, spent a lot of time on enrollment and outreach efforts for early childhood programs,” Moran said.
“We fear that it’s a vicious cycle, right? If you’re not advertising the programs, no one is going to know about them. No one is going to come. It’s going to look like no one wants them. And then you can say, well, let’s cut this funding,” Moran said.
The new budget deal sets aside $5 million toward marketing the city’s preschool programs and getting the word out to families. It also will convert some school day seats into extended day care but state income requirements would not apply to those seats.
Data provided by the city earlier this year shows most ZIP codes offering extended day 3-K and pre-K are under-enrolled.
“This isn’t about slapping a banner on a bus and having a drive around to tell people that there’s this program. People know there’s child care, they don’t know how to access the right seats for them,” Lorenzen said.
There are also some pending state bills that could loosen restrictions for families and enroll them in extended day care while their applications are being processed are awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature.