Ensures that Existing Vouchers Won't be Cut
This is the second item starting on p.34
Entering the final days of the budget negotiations (this article was published a day before the budget agreement was announced by Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito), Councilman Steve Levin continues the intensive campaign to restore Priority 5 child care vouchers cut by the Bloomberg administration. It follows assurance that the Councilman received from the administration that all existing priority 5 vouchers will be fully funded in the upcoming budget.
Contrary to past years, when the question was how deep the child care cuts will or won't be, the talks during this year are how much will be restored to the program to reverse cuts from prior years.
Councilman Levin, who is chairing the General Welfare Committee with oversight over the ACS that is providing the child care voucher - made priority 5 vouchers as a top priority during this year's budget process. Reacting to fears that the priority 5 program may be totally eliminated, Councilman Levin wrote to Yeshiva leaders and others that: "UNLIKE IN PREVIOUS YEARS, PRIORITY 5 VOUCHERS WILL NOT BE CUT AT ALL FROM THE LEVELS THEY ARE AT CURRENTLY."
In his email, the Councilman continued to detail ongoing negotiations to ensure that the new budget will include a meaningful restoration to enable more families to benefit from these vouchers. "Right now, we are working very closely with the DeBlasio administration, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and a large coalition of City Council-members to make this restoration a reality, and the next few days are crucial," the Councilman wrote.
Among others dealing with the issue, are: Councilman David Greenfield, who hosted a meeting with Yeshiva leaders to report about the campaign to restore the vouchers in which Councilman Levin is having a leading role; Councilman Chaim Deutsch - Chair of the non-Public School Committee that is assisting Yeshivos and other private schools - who is very actively participating in the talks and intervenes on the issue, together with Councilman Brad Lander and Mark Treyger.
Dr Yid, UJO Column, June 20, 2014 by United Jewish Column
Dr Yid, UJO Column, June 20, 2014 by United Jewish Column
