NYC Council Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education - June 30, 2026
The New York City Council Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education met on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 at 10:00 AM in Hearing Room 1 at 250 Broadway. Chair Jennifer Gutiérrez presided over the meeting with members Gale A. Brewer, Simcha Felder, Rita C. Joseph, Kevin C. Riley, Kayla Santosuosso, and Julie Won present. The subcommittee considered two pieces of legislation: Proposed Int. No. 580-A, establishing an Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education to work toward universal child care, and Proposed Int. No. 15-A, addressing background check requirements for child care providers. Both items were approved unanimously.
Discussion Items
- Proposed Int. No. 580-A (lead sponsor: Councilmember Gutiérrez, co-prime sponsor: Councilmember Riley) – This bill establishes an Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education to assist the mayor in planning and implementing child care for any city resident child at no cost to a parent, stepparent, guardian, or relative. It requires the office to coordinate child care provision, develop implementation recommendations, consider costs and potential funding sources for expansion, and support agencies in identifying locations for additional child care programs. Chair Gutiérrez noted the bill had been three years in development, beginning with a rally outside City Hall alongside Councilmember Riley, advocates, early childhood educators, and families. Councilmember Riley supported the bill, stating that child care "cannot be treated as an afterthought" and that the legislation creates a foundation for smarter policymaking and accountability.
- Proposed Int. No. 15-A (sponsored by Councilmember Shahana K. Hanif, introduced by Chair Gutiérrez) – This bill prohibits the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) from requiring a subsequent background check for an individual working in a center-based child care program if DOHMH has already completed one, unless: (1) the individual has not been employed by a child care provider in the city for more than 180 consecutive days in the past five years, (2) a child care program requests a background check, or (3) a background check is otherwise required by law or necessary for safety purposes.
Key Outcomes
- Both items were approved unanimously by the subcommittee on a roll call vote of 7 in the affirmative, 0 in the negative, with no abstentions. Chair Gutiérrez voted aye, Councilmember Santosuosso voted aye, Councilmember Riley voted aye, Councilmember Brewer voted yes, Councilmember Joseph voted aye, Councilmember Felder voted aye, and Councilmember Won voted aye (joining virtually). The votes were coupled. Both bills were reported out of the subcommittee with recommendations for approval. The minutes indicate that amendments were proposed and adopted for both items during the committee process before this subcommittee vote.
Meeting Transcript
Who's joining us online? Uh today the subcommittee will consider a bill I'm very proud to be the lead sponsor of proposed intro 580A. This bill establishes an office of child care and early childhood education to assist the mayor in the planning and implementation of child care for any child who resides in the city at no cost to a parent, step parent, caregiver, guardian, or relative. Three years ago, I stood outside City Hall with my colleague Kevin Riley, advocates, early childhood educators, and families to rally around the introduction of this bill. In those three years, we've been able to learn so much from one another. I'm excited to hold this vote today on a bill so many have fought for and to take this important step in improving New York City's early childhood education system. Specifically, this bill requires the Office of Childcare and Early Childhood Education to coordinate the provision of child care in the city, including among other mandates, developing recommendations for implementation, considering cost and potential sources of funding for the expansion of child care and supporting agencies in identifying potential locations for additional child care programs. It outlines a clear pathway and actionable steps to achieving universal child care in New York City. I want to now turn it over to my co-sponsor from the Bronx Councilmember Kevin Riley for his remarks. Thank you, Chair Gutierrez, and good morning, everyone. I want to thank the chair for her leadership on Intro 50580A and for bringing this important legislation before the council. I'm proud to serve as a co-prime sponsor because this bill reflects something we've known for a long time. Childcare cannot be treated as an afterthought. It requires intentional planning, strong coordination, and sustained leadership across city government. Intro 580A creates the Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education to help ensure our city's plan strategically identifying gaps in services and coordinating resources so families can access the support that they truly need. This legislation lays the foundation for smarter policy making and greater accountability as we continue to work towards universal child care. I'm proud to support this bill and look forward to standing with my colleagues later today as we celebrate this important step for the New York City's children and families. Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Councilmember Riley. Additionally, the subcommittee will also consider proposed intro 15A, sponsored by Councilmember Shauna Bruh Abraille in relation to requirements and reporting for background checks for child care providers, employees, and volunteers. This bill would prohibit the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene from requiring a subsequent background check of an individual for the purposes of working in a center-based child care program if DOHMH has already completed a background check. Unless the individual has not been employed by a child care provider in the city for more than 180 consecutive days in the past five years. A child care program requests a background check or a background check is otherwise required by law or necessary for the purposes of safety. With that, I encourage all my colleagues to support both pieces of legislation we're considering today. And I'd like to recognize Councilmember Julie Wan, who is joining us virtually. And uh Miss Anna Bessendorf, who now works for the speaker's office, who was also with me when we first wrote this bill. Clerk, we're ready to begin the vote. Thank you. Good morning, William Martin, committee clerk, roll call vote committee subcommittee on early childhood education. Both items are coupled. Chair Gutierrez. Aye. Santos. Thank you. One. I. Thank you, Councilmember. Riley. Aye. Brewer. Yes. Joseph. Aye. Felder. Aye. With a vote of seven and the affirmative zero and the negative, no abstentions. Both items have been approved by the subcommittee. Madam Chair, there's a full thank you all so much. Thanks to the advocates. See you in a little bit.
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