Federal funding boosts childcare offerings in the Binghamton area

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — The Leadership Alliance, Broome County Urban League, and United Way of Broome County recently announced an award of $750,000 in congressionally directed spending, secured by Sen. Charles Schumer (D–NY), for the Broome County Childcare Expansion Project.

The funds will bolster the Urban League’s current childcare programs and expand offerings through the addition of more childcare spots as well as extended hours to accommodate parents working the second shift.

“Access to qualify affordable childcare is inherently tied to our community’s workforce development efforts, and we thank Sen. Chuck Schumer for advocating for our community’s growth,” Leadership Alliance CEO Stacey Duncan said in a press release. “Employers have been reporting workforce shortages for years, however, it is impossible to fill those gaps when the infrastructure is not in place to support our workforce.”

New York is the sixth-most expensive state for childcare, she noted, leaving low-income families at a loss for safe, reliable, and certified childcare options. Often they must turn down opportunities for training or employment due to lack of childcare.

The Urban League, which plans to open several new childcare sites, serves about 200 children per year through its after-school and summer programs. Part of the funding will cover the cost of capital improvements to the sites, allowing the Urban League to expand its operations in Binghamton by as many as 250 to 300 spots year-round. It also plans to start another childcare location in Johnson City with at least 175 spots.

“With the potential of providing up to 475 children with certified and educational childcare programming, the Urban League is proud to be taking the steps in the right direction alongside such strong community partners to address one of our largest barriers to access and ascension within the workforce: childcare,” Urban League President/CEO Jennifer Lesko said.

The funding will also support the development of a new childcare workforce-training model to ensure there are enough certified childcare professionals to support the addition of the new spots as well as promote the continued growth of childcare operations in the region.

The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families provided $600,000 to expand childcare services while the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Fund kicked in $150,000 for physical renovations.