Council Cares: Universal Childcare for City Council Members and Staff

The Issue:

Policy Components:

The New York City Council, for the first time, is Majority women, many of whom  are caregivers or employee caregivers. New Yorkers are spending more than they can afford on child care, averaging at least $3,000 a month. A family in New York would need to earn $334,000 to afford the cost of care for a two year old in New York City, four times the median family income or the equivalent of 10 minimum wage jobs. Black and multiracial parents have had to quit a job, or turn down job opportunities, at twice the rate of white parents. Women often cite family obligations as a reason they don’t run for office. 

When she is Speaker, she will create the Council Cares Division: a new initiative under the Speaker’s Office dedicated to supporting working parents and caregivers employed by the New York City Council. This division will oversee the creation of a universal childcare program available to all Council Members, their staff, and Council central staff during official work hours.

The goal is simple but transformative: no one should have to choose between serving their community and caring for their family. As we strive to make childcare accessible for all New Yorkers, we also need to look inward - to ensure the Council itself reflects the family-friendly workplace we want to build citywide.

  1. 1. Council Cares Childcare Centers

  • Establish on-site or near-site childcare centers at City Hall through partnerships with DOE’s Division of Early Childhood Education and trusted nonprofit childcare providers.

  • Centers will serve children from infant to pre-K age and operate during City Council work hours (8 a.m.–6 p.m., Monday - Friday).

  • To ensure scalability and equitable access, the Speaker’s Office - through the Council Cares Division- will work with city agencies to launch an RFP process that invites qualified childcare providers to propose and operate on-site or near-site centers. This approach can help meet the diverse needs of Council Members and staff. 

2. Childcare Vouchers for Council Field Offices

  • For Members and staff who work primarily in district offices or field settings, the Council Cares Division will administer a voucher program covering approved childcare providers during official work hours, for additional options outside of what the city offers parents locally.

3. Flexible Care Options

  • Include emergency drop-in care options for late hearings, budget negotiations, or after-hours constituent events.

  • Explore partnerships with DOE and ACS for hybrid models that include weekend or evening care on a rotating basis.

4. Funding

  • Funded through Speaker’s discretionary allocations under the Council’s central budget and supported by existing city childcare infrastructure, ensuring this pilot can grow into a permanent fixture of the Council’s workforce model.

  • The long-term goal is to expand this model citywide-setting a standard for all city agencies.

5. Equity & Impact

  • The Council’s workforce is majority women, many of whom are caregivers.

  • Providing childcare is a workplace equity intervention, not a perk-it directly addresses barriers to advancement for women, parents, and caregivers in public service.

  • Positions the Council as a model employer, reflecting the same values it legislates for New Yorkers.