Statement on Pay Parity for Universal Pre-K Staff in Community-based Organizations

FPWA CEO AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JENNIFER JONES AUSTIN APPLAUDS MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO AND NYC CITY COUNCIL SPEAKER COREY JOHNSON ON PATH TO PAY PARITY FOR UNIVERSAL PRE-K STAFF IN COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS

“Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Johnson, it is indeed an honor to stand with you, and alongside DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido and my colleagues in this moment, as the path to pay parity for universal prekindergarten staff in community-based organizations is made clear.

As a member of the Mayor’s transition team and full day UPK design team, I remember well that day in November 2013 when the Mayor declared that all four-year-olds in New York City would have full day UPK.

How proud and excited I was to be a part of that effort!

Today, I am equally proud and excited to be a part of this moment and effort.

As a member of the Campaign 4 Children (C4C), which is ably led by Jennifer March, and which is comprised of more than 150 early education and youth service providers, the Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York, the Day Care Council of New York, United Neighborhood Houses, UJA Federation and my own organization, FPWA, I speak for many when I say we are delighted and so relieved that the City has come together and is taking the very necessary steps to compensate community based staff at the same rate and levels as DOE staff doing the very same work.

C4C was organized in 2011 with a vision very similar to that of Mayor de Blasio — to ensure a quality early childhood foundation for all of our city’s children.

And today, because of the Mayor’s vision, our City Council and Speaker Johnson’s leadership, the work of DC37 and Executive Director Garrido, and the CFC – unquestionably a collective effort- one of the greatest threats and barriers to educational quality — staff turnover and resulting program instability — is being addressed, and we are headed toward pay parity!

Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Johnson, thank you for your commitment to the children of this great city and to the workforce and community organizations that work tirelessly to serve them every day.”

Jennifer Jones Austin, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, FPWA

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About FPWA

FPWA is an anti-poverty policy and advocacy organization committed to economic opportunity and upward mobility. Having a prominent New York presence for nearly 100 years, FPWA has long served New York City’s social service sector, providing grants to help individuals and families meet their basic needs, and advocating for fair public policies on behalf of people in need and the agencies that serve them. FPWA’s member network of 170 human-service and faith-based organizations reaches more than 1.5 million people in New York’s communities each year. Join us at: fpwa.org, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.