The Committee for Hispanic Children and Families (CHCF) published a new public policy report titled: Bronx Latino families denounce the effects of budget cuts on childcare. CHCF has the support of City Councilmember Fernando Cabrera, Hispanic parents in the Bronx and childcare providers who oppose the budget cuts and urged the city to restore funding.

"The Bronx needs more quality jobs in the childcare services industry, not less. Just like all children, Latino children deserve the best possible care so that they can become part of New York City's future workforce," said Elba Montalvo, the executive director of CHCF. "We can't make excuses for such a short-sighted perspective on the cuts to childcare services. These cuts affect children, parents, childcare providers, and the economic well-being of our communities," said Montalvo.

CHCF published the report to shed light on the views of Latino parents in the Bronx, who are hit hard by budget cuts to childcare, and to give these parents a chance to express their concerns and needs. The report surveys 31 Latino parents to ascertain if they have the means to cope with a decrease in subsidies for childcare, and focuses on the consequences of such a loss on children, parents, childcare service providers and the communities of the Bronx. The report recommends that the city restore funding to childcare services and provide immediate support, which is crucial for the future academic success and well-being of children from low-income families.

"We can't allow the city's proposal to overburden these families by drastically reducing childcare services. We can't balance the budget at the expense of our children, and I wholly support these providers and parents who desperately need these services to keep their families afloat," said City Councilmember Fernando Cabrera.

CHCF's report includes the following important findings:

• When comparing the cost of basic necessities for living in the Bronx – housing, childcare, food, healthcare, and transportation – with the income of the surveyed Latino parents, it is clear that they would not be able to cover their expenses if they had to pay for public childcare services.

• Many of these are Latina mothers who struggle to keep their families afloat with low wages and who may have recently become unemployed. The jobs that they have don't allow them to take time off to care for their children. As the sole breadwinner, they are reluctant to quit their jobs and live off of public assistance programs, given that they can't find childcare services for their children.

• For many Latino parents, it makes more sense economically to stop struggling financially, quit their jobs and apply for public assistance. Those who receive it have the right to childcare services, which the city pays for, above the regular monies for public assistance programs.