Op-Ed | Helping working families access child care

New Yorkers work hard twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. They should expect their city government to work at their pace — not the other way around. New Yorkers shouldn’t have to navigate layers of government bureaucracy or fill out pages of paper forms to have access to the services their tax dollars pay for.

My Administration is committed to making it easier for New Yorkers to access city services, wherever they are, and on their schedule. That is why we’re launching MyCity, an online portal where New Yorkers can search, apply for, and track city services right from their smartphones and computers.

The first phase of MyCity is focused on providing access to child care assistance for low-income New Yorkers. For the first time, New York City families who need help paying for child care can apply in one place, with one digital application.

Before, families had to visit multiple websites, navigate different city agencies, and send paper documents. Many would later find out they had been rejected—and have to start the whole process over. Many may not have known which documents they needed to include, or realized that they had mistakenly submitted an incomplete application.

No more. It’s time that government worked for working families.

When you log onto MyCity, things are going to be different. The application process will now be secure, fast, and accessible in more than ten languages. It’s so user-friendly, you can do it all while holding your child on your lap!

MyCity is fully online, and documents are securely stored. To save time, families can also complete an easy screening tool to see if they might be eligible for child care assistance even before starting the application process.

This is what government is supposed to do – make life easier for working families. I promised we would get this done on the campaign trail and I am proud that we are delivering on that promise.

Applying for child care subsidies is just the beginning of how MyCity will help New Yorkers access city services and benefits. New Yorkers will soon be able to find and apply for jobs and access business services as well. They will be able to check eligibility qualifications, complete applications, track service status, and securely store personal information all in one place.

This is what it looks like to use the power of technology to reduce paper workload, bureaucracy, and red tape. New Yorkers deserve easy, convenient access to the services they pay for through their tax dollars. I am proud to say that we are getting it done.

Visit mycity.nyc.gov to get started and find out how your city can do more for you and your family.