Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 10 a.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 1
Committee: Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education
The Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education considered two coupled items: Proposed Intro 580-A, which would establish an Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education to assist the Mayor in planning and implementing child care at no cost to parents, caregivers, guardians or relatives, and Proposed Intro 15-A (sponsored by Council Member Abreu), concerning requirements and reporting for background checks for child care employees and volunteers. The chair, Council Member Santosuosso, presented the bills, and co-sponsor Council Member Riley spoke in support of Intro 580-A. Both items passed the subcommittee by a vote of seven in the affirmative with no negatives or abstentions.
0:02 Council Member Kayla santos
0:02 also who is us online today,
0:06 the subcommittee will consider
0:07 a bill I'm very proud to be
0:08 the lead sponsor of proposed
0:10 intro 5 80 the spill
0:11 establishes an office of child
0:12 care and early childhood
0:14 education to assist the Mayor
0:15 in the planning and
0:18 implementation of child care
0:18 for any child who resides I
0:19 nthe City and no cost to a step
0:23 parent caregiver, guardian or
0:24 relative three years ago, I
0:25 stood outside City Hall with
0:27 yaround the introduction of
0:32 this film in those three years
0:33 we've been able to learn so
0:35 much from one another. I'
0:36 mexcited to hold this vote
0:36 today on a bill so many have
0:38 fought for to take this
0:40 important step in improving
0:41 New York city's early
0:41 childhood education system
0:44 specifically, this bill
0:45 requires the offices office of
0:46 child care and early childhood
0:48 education to coordinate the
0:49 provision of child care in the
0:51 City, including among other
0:53 mandates developing
0:53 recommendations for
0:56 implementation, considerin
0:57 gcost and potential sources of
0:57 funding for the expansion of
0:59 child care supporting agencies
1:02 and identifying potential
1:02 locations for additional
1:04 childcare programs.
1:05 It outlines a clear pathway
1:06 in actionable steps to
1:08 achieving universal child car
1:09 ein New York City. I want to
1:11 know turn it over to my co
1:12 sponsor from the bronx council
1:14 member Kevin Riley for his
1:17 remarks.
1:17 Thank you, chae Gutiérrez
1:18 and good morning, everyone.
1:19 I'm gonna thank the chair for
1:20 our leadership on inch o 5 0 5
1:22 80 a and for bringing this
1:24 important legislation before
1:25 the council. I'm proud of
1:26 serve as a coal price sponsor
1:28 because this bill reflects
1:29 something we've known for a
1:32 long time chalk. It cannot be
1:32 treated as an afterthought it
1:34 requires intentional planning,
1:36 strong coordination and
1:38 sustained leadership across
1:39 City government and show 588
1:41 creates the officer child care
1:43 and early childhood education
1:44 to help ensure our city's
1:47 plans strategically
1:48 identifying gaps in services
1:50 and coordinate resources so
1:51 families can access the
1:53 support that they truly need
1:54 this legislation lays the
1:56 foundation for smarter policy
1:58 making and greater
1:59 accountability as we continue
2:00 to work towards universal
2:02 child here proud to support
2:03 this bill and look forward t
2:04 ostanding where my colleagsue
2:05 later today as we celebrate
2:07 this important step for the
2:08 New York city's children and
2:09 families. Thank you, chair
2:13 . Thank you, Council Member
2:13 reilly. Additionally, the sub
2:14 will also consider proposed
2:16 intro. 15 A sponsored by
2:18 Council Member shawn obra obra
2:19 now in relation to
2:20 requirements and reporting for
2:22 background checks for child
2:24 care employees and volunteers.
2:25 This bill would prohibit the
2:27 department of health and
2:28 mental hygiene from requiring
2:29 a subsequent background check
2:30 of an individual for the
2:31 purposes of working in a
2:32 center based child care
2:35 program if o. H. M h has
2:36 already completed a background
2:38 check unless
2:38 . The individual has not been
2:39 employed by a child care
2:40 provider in the City for more
2:41 than 180 consecutive days in
2:44 the past five years, a child
2:45 care program requests a
2:46 background check or a
2:47 background check is otherwise
2:48 required by law or necessary
2:50 for the purposes of safety,
2:51 but that encourage all my
2:52 colleagues to support both
2:53 pieces of legislation were
2:56 considering today and I'd like
2:57 to recognize comes remember
2:58 Julie juan, who is joining us
2:59 virtually. Um, finally, I
3:00 would like to thank the
3:02 subcommittee staff, the folks
3:02 that made it happen, julia
3:04 goldsmith pink bomb. Katie,
3:06 selena, grace amato, andrew
3:08 lean, lawless and margaret
3:09 barnsley as well as my own
3:11 killer staff franco pallotta
3:12 .l allow for their work, and I
3:13 also want to shout out anya
3:13 lehr, who is my long chief of
3:17 staff senior adviser who
3:17 helped bring us here and
3:20 ambassador from the speaker's
3:21 office, who was also with me
3:22 when we first wrote this bill
3:25 . Clarke, we're ready to begin
3:26 the vote. Thank you. Good
3:27 morning, william martin
3:27 committee clark roll call vote
3:29 committee subcommittee on
3:30 early childhood education,
3:31 both items are coupled.
3:35 Gutiérrez I santos. So so I
3:42 . Thank you. Won. I'm thank
3:50 you, councilmember rightly ah
3:55 Brewer. Yes, Joseph, I. Felder
4:01 with a vote of seven in the
4:01 affirmative negative knobs
4:03 abstentions. Both items have
4:04 been approved by the
4:05 subcommittee Madam chair those
4:06 equal thank
4:07 . You all so much thanks t
4:08 othe advocates see you in a