New York – Orthodox Community Raises Grave Concern About Child Care Vouchers Proposed Elimination

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    New York – A meeting convened by Agudath Israel of America on June 2 brought together city government officials and administrators of yeshivos throughout New York City to discuss the proposed elimination of a city program than benefits needy parents in the city’s Orthodox community to the tune of over $15 million a year.

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    The program provides child care vouchers to parents of school-age children if certain criteria are met. Under “Priority 7” of the program, vouchers are provided to families where one parent is working full time and the other faces a substantial degree of social difficulty without child care assistance.

    With its often large families and particular financial challenges, the city’s Orthodox community has been the main beneficiary of the Priority 7 category. Some 2000 child care vouchers, worth approximately $15 million dollars to their recipients, have been distributed yearly to parents in heavily Orthodox parts of New York. Now, however, Priority 7 is slated for the dustbin, essentially eliminated from Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed budget.

    Agudath Israel called the meeting to apprise school administrators of the looming threat of Priority 7’s elimination; to discuss the issue with them and with members of the City Council and their representatives; and to formulate strategies for seeking to head off the crisis. Nearly 100 principals and administrators were in attendance.

    Councilmembers Bill De Blasio and Simcha Felder were present as well and addressed the crowd, as did Agudath Israel’s executive vice president, Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel; Agudath Israel’s vice president for community affairs, Rabbi Shmuel Lefkowitz; and Rabbi Yeruchim Shapiro, the principal of Bais Yaakov of Borough Park. Also present
    were representatives of New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Assemblyman Dov Hikind and Councilmembers David I. Weprin and David Yassky.

    At the meeting, Agudath Israel distributed to the yeshiva administrators copies of letters intended to be shared with parents of their students. The letters, addressed to Mayor Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, respectfully but strongly object to the planned elimination of Priority 7. The goal, Rabbi Lefkowitz said, is to deliver thousands of the missives to the city officials.

    Other strategic options discussed included a face-to-face meeting with the Mayor and he possibility of a rally at City Hall.

    Said Rabbi Zwiebel: “We hope that if we bring the Mayor’s and Speaker’s attention to the fact that the elimination of Priority 7 will have a disproportionate effect on a particular segment of the city’s population – us – they will reconsider and find a way to let whatever cuts are absolutely necessary be distributed fairly among all priority groups.”

    “This issue is urgent,” he continued. The budget is likely to be finalized in the next weeks. And so it is imperative that if we are going to mobilize a grass-roots effort to let the Mayor and Speaker know how much this will hurt our community – and how unfair it is – we do it now.”


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    61 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Wake up people !

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    This is what happens when people get addicted to govt funds

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Anyone has a number where we can call in?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Bloomberg at work. Have no fear…….there’s more to come.This man must go.

    Dag
    Dag
    14 years ago

    100 principals. Threaten money and we come out in droves. Threaten children’s lives, and we sit by silently. For shame.

    working father
    working father
    14 years ago

    Its about time for these people to loose it
    It will create a even playing field where everybody pays the same I am sick of seeing my hard earned money pay for these people. yes its a pity on them but so am I what about all the things I have to pay for like health ins,grocery,rent,tuition, but they get Medicaid,food stamps,section 8 and more
    So thank you mayor Mike for looking out for us middle class people
    4 more years with hashems help

    working father
    working father
    14 years ago

    Its about time for these people to loose it
    It will create a even playing field where everybody pays the same I am sick of seeing my hard earned money pay for these people. yes its a pity on them but so am I what about all the things I have to pay for like health ins,grocery,rent,tuition, but they get Medicaid,food stamps,section 8 and more
    So thank you mayor Mike for looking out for us middle class people
    4 more years with hashems help

    Its time we show them how much money they are saving...
    Its time we show them how much money they are saving...
    14 years ago

    it is time we get together, wait till the last day possible, then we all sign up for public school. The city will go into crisis (if we get together will all private schools, not only jewish ones) and maybe they will stop complaining about the small money!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    You people dont seem to realize that the “after school” care pays more than tuition that many of us pay. For example for 3rd graders the after school program pays more than Seven thousand dollars I am told, which is more than the regular tuition in Brooklyn. Plus the parents pay some (albeit less because they have these vouchers) and the school makes out very well on this deal.

    The City also has program for kndergarten and pre-school which pays the schools very, very well.

    yeshiva admin
    yeshiva admin
    14 years ago

    Why don’t we all register in public school so bloomberg will see that we need the funds

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    To hard working father: Not only can’t you spell or construct an intelligent sentence, you’re mean spirited and an embarrassment to our orthodox commmunity. What type of person rejoices in the denial of poverty funds to the needy, funds that end up sustaining our struggling educational institutions.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Section 8 Landlords in our neigborhoods get more from these section 8 than from non-section 8 tenants. This is because for a 4 bedroom apartment (5 – 6 kids) section 8 pays about $2,000 (plus any additional rent the LL can get from the tenant) whereas non-section 8 tenants pay less!! The whole reason rents in our neighborhoods and other places have risen so much is because section 8 raises every year and it costs us people – that pay for our rent – a raise to the Landlord also.

    Anyone ever seen someone go OFF section 8, its like an alcoholic with alcohol – once on section 8 you just cannot go off it, because its free money and together with food stamps (that just got a 13% increase) there is no reason to work (unless you work off the books).

    Once on Section 8, you are on it forever. I have a freind that has been on Section 8 for 23 years – yes twenty three years.. No wonder section 8 is not taking new applicants for budgetary reasons!!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    are you my wife?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    The City has not given out new vouchers for years unless you go on welfare — which I hear is what people did, go on welfare for month and then once you are already on welfare with the vouchers, they wont take them away.
    Only kids on vouchers for years can stay on the program.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Vouchers, section 8, medicaid, food stamps — can someone tell me why I am working to make a living and pay my bills?
    The answer is very simple: I work because I am a person.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    100 Principals for only $15 million dollars …. I didnt know there were 100 mosdos in NYC.

    I wonder how many of these programs are being run legally (legally the school must charge the same tuition as it would if the school didnt recieve the voucher, Hm Hm…) with all the various regulations.

    Try cuting a program and people will turn out in droves but …….

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Its a terible chillul hashem that a goy will read that a gov program was tailormade for our oilam — not good.
    The goyim should feel that we are givers to society — not takers.

    Charlie Hall
    Charlie Hall
    14 years ago

    On this very site, on this very day, a lot of commenters are complaining about a sales tax increase. Well, if you want programs like this, you have to pay the taxes to provide the revenue for the program!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Once and for all these frumme ganavim should simply stop pushing out more babies they cannot afford and cannot support and then demanding tzadakah from the rest of us hard working yidden and goyim. Its about time the rabbonim said that its no mitzvah to have children you cannot afford and “rely on hashem” (codewords for welfare and charity) to take care of them.

    kivi
    kivi
    14 years ago

    I agree there are a lot of people that abuse the system but there are a lot more that really need the help especially in these times.

    G4 Commission
    G4 Commission
    14 years ago

    It has been too long that we have let our Yeshivas down. Every Public school student costs the City $14,000! Yes Fourteen Thousand Dollars! There are 75,000 students in frum Mosdos across the city. There is no reason that schools don’t get a large amount of money for every student. If this after school program is eliminated, we should all register our kids in public school for the upcoming school year. You will see how fast this money is restored.

    I pay my tuition
    I pay my tuition
    14 years ago

    “vouchers are provided to families where one parent is working full time and the other faces a substantial degree of social difficulty without child care assistance”

    So pray tell how can so many hundreds of parents be allowed on this program if one has to have substantial degree of social difficulty? I see many people out there with one parent taking care of them — so pray tell who has social difficulty? And when it comes to shidduchim do they tell their mechutonim that they have social difficulties? Or only b’noigeah the City to get a program they have a “substatial degree of social difficulties”.

    This program is one big gneivah if the criteria is to have substantial difficulties (without the child care assistance) because 99% of these kids come from normal, healthy families and just looking to get a tuition for free. I wonder if the parents have to certify that they will have substantial degree of social difficulties before they get this program.

    The City pays enough from this after school program that the parents pay almost nothing for tuition (which is illegal because the regulations are that the parents must pay the same tuition with or without this program)

    And do you know this program is an after-school program (officially), when most kids go home they stay in school to play etc. (and get home at about 6.30 to 7pm or 7.30pm) I personally prefer to have my kids home a little more!

    On the hand: I see seriously problematic problems arising from certain kids that their parents are really moiser nefesh, with a big family, to take care of the kids. and give them quality time at home, a good supper etc. and these are the people to congratulate. And kids (and their parents) with ADD and learning disablities could do with more help from the City.

    Whereas these people that have the afterschool program, they leave their kids to come home in time to go to bed should be ashamed of themselves — they may as well put the kids up for adoption!!

    I actually am happy to have the zchus to pay my tuition and do homework with my kids. And at the same time not be toileh on Myor Bloomberg to pay my tuition bills.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Wow, a program so that the kids can play in school after school hours. Only in America.

    In my days school was to work hard and then go home and do more work. I guess this is the generation. Only in America.

    liepa
    liepa
    14 years ago

    If 75,000 kids ba”h enrolled in the public school system   $14k per child this would cost the State/City $10,50,000,000.00 (10 billion, 50 million) annually vs 15,000,000.00 (15 million ) annually for vouchers. I think New York is getting a bargain, right now.

    shmiel glassman
    shmiel glassman
    14 years ago

    A FEW POINTS:
    1. we are talking about 2000 vouchers out of 80,000 children kein yirbu (2/3of the program)
    2. the total expense is 14 million (2/3) out of a state budget of ??????billion
    3.the addl. amt this adds up to in taxes for an avg family is a fraction of a percent
    4.the overwhelming majority of the families receiving vouchers are truly eligible & life would be unbearable w/o it
    5. i did run the “kids” part of the program for 2 years (including supper,sports ,woodworking,homework…) it was amazing
    6. a suggestion would be to compromise & pay $ 2500 per student , allow another 1000 kids on the program & still be able to cut 5 million
    7. the fact that a family with healthy working parents cannot cover their bills is indeed a real problem but your tuition is not higher because there are kids on vouchers its rather lehefech,, vehamaven yavin
    yehi ratzon , that we should be able to support torah mibifnim & not need matnos basar vedam

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Guys calm down, No 1. No one will get scared if there will be .75 of a percent more in the public schools. 2. The bloggers here that are making money called middle class or upper class should just keep in mind that no one knows their future and G-D forbid you loose your job, these words you wrote here will haunt you down, and for the MENUVAL here who’s making fun of having a lot of kids, I can only say one thing watch your language, because no ehrlicher ruv will listen your words and not slap you in your face, hpow you dare talk that way, who are you to feed your kids, hashem is the one that gives life he’s the one that gives food from the smallest insects to the biggest animals watch your language.

    elchonon
    elchonon
    14 years ago

    You all have it wrong!!!!! Vouchers should be for ALL families regardless of income! You are funding public school education, essentioaly the city is giving you credit to spend in private schools since your saving them $. At least that’s how
    I want it to work!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    #39 says there is no heter for economic reasons. But these vouchers were given out originally for social service reasons, in other words a parent who was not coping or overwhelmed and thus it was in the best interest of the child to be in the program. They had to be documented by a social worker that there was a family issue. So,, if a family is overwhelmed with having children too close together and are overwhelmedd and needs spacing, where are the rabbonim to encourage that tje families do not become dysfunctional. Families need to know they have options, having more kids does not make them frimmer

    We Must Vote For A New Mayor
    We Must Vote For A New Mayor
    14 years ago

    When will you all realize that a billionaire mayor has zero understanding and feelings for middle class families who struggle to make ends meet and live here in NY where it’s almost impossibile, we will be sucked out every penny if you vote for him again, it’s time we all jewish people go out all together and make a major impact in the elections and vote for another candidate and be matzliach and let all of NY see what that we had enough of him and need Major Change here

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    #50 you are right. Because statistically Orthodox Jews do not vote, our communities are being overlooked. Why pay attention to us if we are so afraid of jury duty notices that we choose to not vote instead

    GO VOTE
    GO VOTE
    14 years ago

    Why are there so many frum jews who do not go out and vote???.