The battle over several day cares closing in New York City came to a head on Thursday when day care workers, parents and politicians joined forces on the steps of City Hall, demanding action immediately.
Friday, February 7, 2025 4:34AM
CeFaan Kim has details on the rally held on the steps of City Hall on Thursday.
MANHATTAN, New York (WABC) — The battle over several day cares closing in New York City came to a head on Thursday when day care workers, parents and politicians joined forces on the steps of City Hall demanding action immediately.
The city is planning to close them down in part because of low attendance, but the enrollment numbers prove otherwise.
They brought in reinforcements.
“We are angry. We are very angry,” Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso said. “We are not going to allow for the shutting down of institutions that helped raise our children.”
“I’m flabbergasted at this point because it seems that every step of the way there’s failure when it comes to the Adams administration. They themselves apparently don’t make any mistakes at all,” said New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
There are four day cares slated for closure including the Nuestros Niños Day Care in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
The Department of Education decided it would not renew its lease saying the cost of rent is rising and that only four students were enrolled there.
When Eyewitness News visited the school a few weeks ago, there were nearly 100 students.
“You were wrong about capacity, what the hell are you doing?” Williams said.
“We want to be able to open our doors to the mayor to come to our site, to see our beautiful children, they have smiles on their faces. They will sing, they will read, they will dance. So our doors are open,” Ingrid Matias Chungata of Nuestros Niños Day Care said.
Eyewitness News sat down with the city school’s chancellor on Thursday.
She said the DOE is now reviewing the closures.
“We are committed to starting these conversations with elected officials and providers to figure out the best path forward,” Melissa Aviles-Ramos said.
“So they should be hopeful that there will be a happy ending?” Eyewitness News’ CeFaan Kim asked.
“We’re very hopeful,” Aviles-Ramos said.
“We had a conversation a week ago and they said unequivocally that all these centers would close down. And then we turned up. We showed up and now the conversation has changed,” Reynoso said.
A spokesperson for the mayor added, “The Adams administration has made historic strides in expanding and improving early childhood education, ensuring that every family who wants a 3K seat has access to one. We must be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars, ensuring that resources are allocated where they are needed most.”
The chancellor did not guarantee the day cares would remain open.
She also couldn’t provide a timeline of when a decision will be made.
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The battle over several day cares closing in New York City came to a head on Thursday when day care workers, parents and politicians joined forces on the steps of City Hall, demanding action immediately.
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