Hi John,

Join us today for a day of action for pandemic relief for child care!

Our message to Governor Cuomo and other New York State leaders:

1. Cut unnecessary red tape, and get CARES Act funds to the providers and parents who have been waiting for months for relief.
2. Let’s work together to secure additional – and desperately needed – federal relief funds for child care.
3. Give parents and child care providers a seat at the table to plan NOW for equitable and effective use of future federal relief funds.

Find more messaging information, a phone script, and model social media posts in this action toolkit.  Please make a phone call, get the word out on social media – and ask others to join us.

Check out the toolkit below for how to take action!

Call New York State's Leaders

Call the Governor’s Office at 518-474-8390 or 518- 474-1041  - press 1 to leave a message; press 2 to speak to an agent.

For Senate Majority Leader Stewart Cousins, call her district office: (914) 423-4031 or call her Albany office: (518) 455-2585.

For Assembly Speaker Heastie, call his district office: (718) 654-6539 or Albany office: (518) 455-3791.

You can create your own message:

• Say your name;
• If you are a parent/provider/advocate/etc.;
• Where you are/your program is located;
• How the CARES process has been for you or the providers you rely on; and
• Make the asks (above)

...Or use the script below!

 Phone Script

Hello, my name is [participants name], and I am a [parent/family child care provider/advocate] in [city/region].

I (or, for parents, “my child care provider”) have been struggling to keep my doors open due to low enrollment and high costs of providing safe care during the pandemic. I have been waiting to receive CARES Act relief funds for x months. I cannot keep up with all my bills without help for much longer.

I ask that New York get awarded CARES funds immediately to providers. Looking ahead, any remaining CARES Act funds or additional federal relief funds should be released in a grant form, not by reimbursement, like nearly every other state around the country. Additionally, NY child care providers and parents should be granted a seat at the table where plans are being made as to how to use unspent and future federal relief funds. We are counting on you to help support and save an economic sector that is vital to the health and economic stability of our families and our communities.

Thank you.

Post on Social Media

Below are some model tweets and posts. Share them on your social media channels with us this afternoon, evening and tomorrow morning to elevate this critical issue!

Sample Tweets

.@NYGovCuomo: The process for distributing CARES $ to child care providers has been onerous and has made our jobs harder! Please streamline the process going forward. #SaveChildCare

.@NYGovCuomo: with COVID-19 on the rise again, child care providers’ need for CARES emergency funds is more urgent. #SaveChildCare

.@NYGovCuomo: Child care providers deserve a seat at the table. Let us help plan for the dissemination of additional federal child care funding! #SaveChildCare

.@NYGovCuomo: Thank you for releasing CARES dollars so that child care programs can continue to serve working families. But please help get those $ to providers before more of us close our doors! #SaveChildCare

.@NYGovCuomo: NY children and working parents depend on safe, affordable child care. Streamline CARES 3 dollars and distribute immediately. #SaveChildCare @EmpireStateCCC

.@NYGovCuomo @NYS_DOB: How long do childcare providers need to wait for CARES funding to come to them? Simplify the process! @EmpireStateCCC

.@NYGovCuomo: Thank you for releasing CARES 2 funds. But help us to #SaveChildCare by getting those funds to providers now, and working with us to secure more federal relief funds!

.@NYGovCuomo @LtGovHochulNY @melissadderosa: parents and child care providers need a seat at the table to plan for the use of new federal relief funds. #SaveChildCare

.@NYGovCuomo @NYS_DOB: Child care providers in other states received CARES Act child care funds months ago - why all the red tape? #SaveChildCare

My childcare provider is on the brink of closing. Without childcare I cannot work! Please get CARES funding to providers now! @NYGovCuomo @EmpireStateCCC

.@NYGovCuomo @NYS_DOB: Child care providers received notice of awards in August - they are still waiting to be paid. #SaveChildCare

.@NYGovCuomo @melissadderosa @LtGovHochulNY: eager to work together to secure more federal relief funds to #SaveChildCare @EmpireStateCCC

Working parents and their children need safe, quality child care! @NYGovCuomo, @NYS_DOB: cut the red tape and disseminate federal CARES child care funding now! @EmpireStateCCC