Hillary Clinton takes part in Columbia University panel discussion on child care
NEW YORK -- Child care is a significant issue for working parents.
On Tuesday, Columbia University hosted a panel discussion about the state of child care in New York City.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined City Council members for the discussion. She addressed both the personal and professional impact of having reliable child care.
"We have to think about the families. We have to think about the children. We have to think about the workers and we have to think about employers who need to be able to have people come to work and not be ripped apart because of child care problems," Clinton said.
The panelists also touched on issues surrounding access and affordability of both day care and after-school care programs.
Recent report outlines struggles NYC families face
A report released in February shows the majority of New York City families can't afford child care due to rising rents that have forced some to leave the city, leading to a major impact on the economy.
The public policy think tank 5BORO Institute found that a typical day care costs at least $20,000 a year. It also found that more than 80% of families cannot afford that, even for one child.
Due to rising costs, the study found a major decline in the number of available child care providers; only 50% of families are currently able to find licensed facilities.
The report offers recommendations and calls on the city to implement policy changes to benefit both families and day care providers.
Mayor Eric Adams said at the time that his administration was working on it.
