Home Day Care Providers Rally for Back Pay on Raises They Never Saw

Hundreds of home day care providers marched in protest and rallied yesterday at the Human Resources Administration and State Office of Children and Family Services buildings to demand that they receive back pay for raises that were approved October 1 but not made public.They were joined by the president of the United Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, and New York ACORN’s executive director, Bertha Lewis.“The state increased payments to home day care providers,” Ms. Weingarten said in a statement.”They didn’t directly tell providers about the raise or how to claim it. We are calling on the state to make that raise retroactive to October 1, and make sure all home day care workers get their money.”An HRA spokesman, Bob McHugh, said Mayor Bloomberg announced late yesterday that Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs will meet with Ms. Weingarten and the HRA commissioner, Verna Eggleston, to discuss the issue.“I don’t know when it’s going to happen, but it will be soon,” Mr. McHugh told The New York Sun. “We are willing to do a better job of getting these people paid. They are eligible retroactively. They must come in and do the necessary paperwork and inform us that they are charging more along with the justification of why. If they stay within the state reimbursement structure, then they can be compensated.”In New York City, there are nearly 8,000 licensed home day care providers and about 23,000 license-exempt providers. They receive government money to care for and educate children from low-income families in pre-school and after-school programs. They also provide meals and snacks; help children with reading, learning colors and numbers; change diapers, and help with homework.“It’s very frustrating,” Ms. Lewis told the Sun. “Some of the workers have back pay issues as far as $5,000. For a home child care provider, it’s a lot of money.”With the pay increase, home care providers who work in a group family day care facility that cares for seven to 12 children are to receive between $140 and $160 a child. For a licensed family day care facility that cares for three to six children, the average rate is $125 to $150 a child. For a license-exempt day care program for one to two children, the average rate is $88 to $105 a child.“I don’t know if they are overworked as an ACS worker, but they are unresponsive,” Ms. Lewis said.”The bureaucracy is crushed.When you have people who take care of our most vulnerable resources, kids and the elderly, the government should pay attention and make sure those people have their salaries paid.”Some providers said they are upset over the lack of response they have received from HRA and what they call its poor efforts to help compensate them for the long hours and resources they spend helping to raise and educate children.Bridget Carruth, 46, a home care provider from the Bronx, said she had to take time off in December for medical reasons. “I was exhausted,” Ms. Carruth said. “We are not getting enough money to take care of the children or ourselves. We need to be paid more.”Ms. Carruth has been a licensed group family day care provider for 15 years. She said that in 2004 her income was only a bit more than $3,000 after expenses. In 2003, she earned about $18,000.“I am very passionate about our children,” Ms. Carruth said.”We have been trying to solve the problems with HRA but they won’t listen to us. We have no place to turn to.”

Home Day Care Providers Rally for Back Pay on Raises They Never Saw

Home Day Care Providers Rally for Back Pay on Raises They Never Saw

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