Immigrant advocates hail new childcare vouchers for undocumented Caribbean families

Immigration advocates have welcomed a new childcare assistance program that will, for the first time in New York City’s history, provide childcare assistance to Caribbean and other low-income families with children whose immigration status makes them ineligible for other, federally-funded subsidized childcare.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday announced the initiative, known “Promise NYC,” saying that the city will partner with four community-based organizations (CBOs), each with deep ties to immigrant communities in their respective boroughs.

Adams said the Center for Family Life will serve families in Brooklyn, Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC) will serve families in the Bronx and Manhattan, La Colmena will serve families in Staten Island, and the Chinese American Planning Council will serve families in Queens. 

Liza Schwartzwald – Senior Manager of Immigration Policy at New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), an umbrella organization representing over 200 immigration advocacy and policy groups in New York State – said “Promise NYC” will provide free or low-cost child care to Caribbean and other families with children who are 6 weeks to 13 years old. 

“Access to childcare allows New York families, local communities and our city’s economy to function,” she told Caribbean Life on Thursday. “Children – regardless of immigration status – need quality early childhood education and care to thrive, and families rely on childcare to work, go to school, and so much more. 

“For too long, immigrant New Yorkers who lack legal status have been unable to access federal and state subsidies for childcare,” Schwartzwald added. “Newly arrived asylum seekers have also had difficulty accessing childcare, exacerbating the challenges of integrating into their new city.”

By investing US$10 million in “Promise NYC,” she said “New York City is giving all New Yorkers a greater opportunity to build their lives without sacrificing their financial welfare or the stability of their family.”

 Schwartzwald thank Mayor Adams and other New York City officials for “championing inclusionary and accessible childcare.”

“We look forward to working with the administration and all of the community-based organizations involved to ensure that ‘Promise NYC’ is a successful program, and will be advocating for its expansion in the years to come.”

Adams said “Promise NYC” is “a promise kept” that was first made earlier this year when he released “Accessible, Equitable, High-quality, Affordable: A Blueprint for Childcare & Early Education in New York City.” 

In that initiative, the mayor announced plans to increase access to subsidized childcare for undocumented Caribbean and other children, and others, ineligible for existing programs due to restrictive US federal immigration rules. 

Adams said that the timing of the launch of “Promise NYC” will be particularly beneficial to the newly-arrived asylum seekers, including Haitians and Venezuelans, “helping to ensure parents can pursue stable housing and gainful employ while their children are cared for safely.”

The mayor said he expects “Promise NYC” to support at least 600 children over the next six months.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed, no matter where they came from, and as a city of immigrants, we know that the American dream starts here in New York City,” said Mayor Adams. 

“Navigating obstacles in a new city and a new country are tough, and coupling those issues with a lack of childcare can prevent parents and families from achieving the dream they so desperately set out to achieve,” he added. “By launching ‘Promise NYC’, we are alleviating the stress from those concerns, supporting children and families, and creating a fairer city for all New Yorkers.”

New York City Administration of Children Services (ACS) Commissioner Jess Dannhauser said “all children, regardless of immigration status, deserve the benefit of environments that nurture their development, and ‘Promise NYC’ will make this happen.” S

“ACS is thrilled to be launching this new program in New York City, which will, for the first time ever, provide childcare assistance to hundreds of low-income families who were previously and unfairly ineligible due to their immigration status,” he added. “Thank you to Mayor Adams for recognizing the importance of such a historic and innovative program, and for continuing to expand families’ access to affordable childcare options.”

Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Manuel Castro said while some state and federal childcare programs are out of reach for many immigrant families with undocumented children, “New York City will not leave any child behind. 

“The historic launch of Promise NYC allows our city to continue to advance the promise of a better future for all New Yorkers, regardless of their immigration status,” he stressed. “As the city works to support recently arrived asylum seekers, ‘Promise NYC’ will have a positive impact on their ability to seek meaningful opportunities, so they can improve their lives in their new homes.”

Adams said each CBO will be responsible for community and family outreach in their respective borough(s); signing eligible families up for “Promise NYC”; and supporting families’ search, selection and enrollment with a childcare program, including issuance of monthly subsidy payments.

The mayor said eligibility for federally-funded benefits, like childcare assistance, is limited to US citizens, legal permanent residents and others with “qualified” immigration status, “which excludes thousands of families in New York City.”

“This first-of-a-kind program will help to provide childcare assistance to these families,” he said.

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, whose parents hail from the Dominican Republic, said: “No child should be punished for their citizenship status.

“Undocumented children have for too long been deprived of the child-care support that can transform a family’s current stability and future opportunities,” he added. “Thanks to Mayor Adams, ‘Promise NYC’ will answer for this injustice and create the pathways to assistance these families need.”

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Jr., whose father is Jamaican-born, said “Promise NYC is a groundbreaking initiative that will dramatically improve the lives of so many families in Queens and throughout our city.

“From now on, a child’s immigration status can no longer be used to block their access to subsidized child-care,” he said. “I look forward to working with Mayor Adams and his team in support of this innovative program, which will enable hundreds of our city’s kids to enjoy the developmental benefits of a nurturing child-care environment.”

Julia Jean-Francois, the co-executive director of the Center for Family Life in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn, said her organization is “so very proud to join together with sister organizations across New York City to provide critically needed support to children in immigrant families. 

“ACS’s recognition of the presence of immigrant children who need the same benefits and supports as all children in New York City is truly heartening,” she said. “It represents a huge step in the direction of a vision of child welfare that centers community strength and resilience, and addresses a fundamental need that all children in all families have for early education and the funds to pay for it. 

“Child welfare, in its truest sense, is achieved when children are educated, fed and housed, and families have the financial resources to live with dignity and joy,” Jean-Francois continued.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday announced the initiative, known “Promise NYC,” saying that the city will partner with four community-based organizations (CBOs), each with deep ties to immigrant communities in their respective boroughs.

Adams said the Center for Family Life will serve families in Brooklyn, Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC) will serve families in the Bronx and Manhattan, La Colmena will serve families in Staten Island, and the Chinese American Planning Council will serve families in Queens. 

Liza Schwartzwald – Senior Manager of Immigration Policy at New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), an umbrella organization representing over 200 immigration advocacy and policy groups in New York State – said “Promise NYC” will provide free or low-cost child care to Caribbean and other families with children who are 6 weeks to 13 years old. 

“Access to childcare allows New York families, local communities and our city’s economy to function,” she told Caribbean Life on Thursday. “Children – regardless of immigration status – need quality early childhood education and care to thrive, and families rely on childcare to work, go to school, and so much more. 

“For too long, immigrant New Yorkers who lack legal status have been unable to access federal and state subsidies for childcare,” Schwartzwald added. “Newly arrived asylum seekers have also had difficulty accessing childcare, exacerbating the challenges of integrating into their new city.”

By investing US$10 million in “Promise NYC,” she said “New York City is giving all New Yorkers a greater opportunity to build their lives without sacrificing their financial welfare or the stability of their family.”

 Schwartzwald thank Mayor Adams and other New York City officials for “championing inclusionary and accessible childcare.”

“We look forward to working with the administration and all of the community-based organizations involved to ensure that ‘Promise NYC’ is a successful program, and will be advocating for its expansion in the years to come.”

Adams said “Promise NYC” is “a promise kept” that was first made earlier this year when he released “Accessible, Equitable, High-quality, Affordable: A Blueprint for Childcare & Early Education in New York City.” 

In that initiative, the mayor announced plans to increase access to subsidized childcare for undocumented Caribbean and other children, and others, ineligible for existing programs due to restrictive US federal immigration rules. 

Adams said that the timing of the launch of “Promise NYC” will be particularly beneficial to the newly-arrived asylum seekers, including Haitians and Venezuelans, “helping to ensure parents can pursue stable housing and gainful employ while their children are cared for safely.”

The mayor said he expects “Promise NYC” to support at least 600 children over the next six months.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed, no matter where they came from, and as a city of immigrants, we know that the American dream starts here in New York City,” said Mayor Adams. 

“Navigating obstacles in a new city and a new country are tough, and coupling those issues with a lack of childcare can prevent parents and families from achieving the dream they so desperately set out to achieve,” he added. “By launching ‘Promise NYC’, we are alleviating the stress from those concerns, supporting children and families, and creating a fairer city for all New Yorkers.”

New York City Administration of Children Services (ACS) Commissioner Jess Dannhauser said “all children, regardless of immigration status, deserve the benefit of environments that nurture their development, and ‘Promise NYC’ will make this happen.” S

“ACS is thrilled to be launching this new program in New York City, which will, for the first time ever, provide childcare assistance to hundreds of low-income families who were previously and unfairly ineligible due to their immigration status,” he added. “Thank you to Mayor Adams for recognizing the importance of such a historic and innovative program, and for continuing to expand families’ access to affordable childcare options.”

Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Manuel Castro said while some state and federal childcare programs are out of reach for many immigrant families with undocumented children, “New York City will not leave any child behind. 

“The historic launch of Promise NYC allows our city to continue to advance the promise of a better future for all New Yorkers, regardless of their immigration status,” he stressed. “As the city works to support recently arrived asylum seekers, ‘Promise NYC’ will have a positive impact on their ability to seek meaningful opportunities, so they can improve their lives in their new homes.”

Adams said each CBO will be responsible for community and family outreach in their respective borough(s); signing eligible families up for “Promise NYC”; and supporting families’ search, selection and enrollment with a childcare program, including issuance of monthly subsidy payments.

The mayor said eligibility for federally-funded benefits, like childcare assistance, is limited to US citizens, legal permanent residents and others with “qualified” immigration status, “which excludes thousands of families in New York City.”

“This first-of-a-kind program will help to provide childcare assistance to these families,” he said.

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, whose parents hail from the Dominican Republic, said: “No child should be punished for their citizenship status.

“Undocumented children have for too long been deprived of the child-care support that can transform a family’s current stability and future opportunities,” he added. “Thanks to Mayor Adams, ‘Promise NYC’ will answer for this injustice and create the pathways to assistance these families need.”

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Jr., whose father is Jamaican-born, said “Promise NYC is a groundbreaking initiative that will dramatically improve the lives of so many families in Queens and throughout our city.

“From now on, a child’s immigration status can no longer be used to block their access to subsidized child-care,” he said. “I look forward to working with Mayor Adams and his team in support of this innovative program, which will enable hundreds of our city’s kids to enjoy the developmental benefits of a nurturing child-care environment.”

Julia Jean-Francois, the co-executive director of the Center for Family Life in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn, said her organization is “so very proud to join together with sister organizations across New York City to provide critically needed support to children in immigrant families. 

“ACS’s recognition of the presence of immigrant children who need the same benefits and supports as all children in New York City is truly heartening,” she said. “It represents a huge step in the direction of a vision of child welfare that centers community strength and resilience, and addresses a fundamental need that all children in all families have for early education and the funds to pay for it. 

“Child welfare, in its truest sense, is achieved when children are educated, fed and housed, and families have the financial resources to live with dignity and joy,” Jean-Francois continued.