New York City Invests $600,000 in CUNY Childcare

CUNY students with young children will get extra child care assistance this year thanks to a $600,000 investment by the City Council for the CUNY Childcare Initiative. (Photo: Kingsborough Community College

By Ivan Pereira

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson announced last week that the city will make a $600,000 investment to the CUNY Childcare Initiative, which provides day care services for students with children. The program, which is at 18 colleges, was created in the last city budget and will serve 1,461 students and more than 1,500 infants and toddlers according to the speaker.

“Being a parent is the hardest job in the world, but we know being a college student is pretty tough as well,” he said in a statement. “Needless to say, juggling both can feel impossible, which is why the Council created this initiative for parents.”

In addition to providing the parents with free supervised care for their children, the centers at 18 select colleges will also offer other services, including academic tutoring and other programs for the kids.

The centers will have extended hours and will be open during the weekend, according to Johnson. 

CUNY schools began their fall semester on Monday and Councilwoman Inez Barron, who chairs the committee on higher education, said the program will alleviate some of the stress from these students. 

“Our CUNY students are under a lot of stress because they have to cover tuition, textbooks, rent, food, child care and other basic necessities,” she said in a statement.

Ivan has been a staff reporter with amNewYork since May 2012 and covers breaking news, politics and enterprise stories.