Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education

Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 10 a.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 1

Committee: Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education

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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