Media Advisory: Access to Child Care Assistance Varies Wildly Across the State

For Immediate Release

January 11, 2010

Contact: Kristin Brown Lilley,  (518) 462-6831

WHAT: Release of Empire Justice’s report, “Mending the Patchwork” which reviews county variations in child care subsidies for working parents.

WHEN: 11:00 AM, Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

WHERE: LCA Press Room, Legislative Office Building, Albany New York

WHO:  Authors of the report, Susan Antos and Saima Akhtar will be joined by a grandparent care giver from Western New York who will explain how she and her family were hurt by current child care policies, and a Capital District parent who will talk about her experiences locally.  Denise Dowell from CSEA and Carol Saginaw from the Early Care and Learning Council will talk about how child care providers are affected by the county policy variations and the Fiscal Policy Institute will explain how copayment variations bear no relation to local economic differences.

ABOUT EMPIRE JUSTICE CENTER: Empire Justice Center is a statewide, public interest law firm with offices in Albany, Rochester, White Plains and Central Islip on Long Island. Empire Justice Center seeks to on change the “systems” that impact poor and low-income families. With a focus on poverty law, Empire Justice undertakes research and training, acts as an informational clearinghouse, and provides litigation backup to local legal services programs and community based organizations. As an advocacy organization, Empire Justice engages in legislative and administrative advocacy on behalf of those impacted by poverty and discrimination. As a non-profit law firm, Empire Justice provides legal assistance to those in need and undertakes impact litigation in order to protect and defend the rights of disenfranchised New Yorkers.

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