00:00These are programs for every single New Yorker.
00:03These are not programs that are going to ask the immigration status of any one of the children.
00:08All of those children are New Yorkers.
00:10They should all be enrolled in pre-K and 3K, no matter where they were born or where they come from.
00:15My question is about the program you just described, which is, as you know, the ICE,
00:21they are having raid and, you know, operation all over the city.
00:26They get their operations in a few days, and people are kind of scared.
00:31So as you start starting your program, what is the safety and security of the parents
00:38who are going to the, you know, center and dropping their kids,
00:44and when they're coming, if they're rounded up by the ICE, what is your message to them?
00:49How you are going to ensure their safety and security?
00:53And then she mentioned about the cultural sensitivities.
00:56Just related with this, cultural sensitivity in food,
01:00how we are going to make sure that the, you know, Muslims, Jews, and others,
01:06they will be there, and they have a food sensitivity as well, like halal and kosher.
01:11So if you can just specific this.
01:14I think we've made important strides on halal and kosher meals,
01:16and I think that that is work that needs to continue to be done.
01:22And I also know that, you know, we are less than a month away from the beginning of Ramadan,
01:28and so these are issues that will only continue to come to the fore.
01:31I'll say to your first question that, just to put it very clearly,
01:35these are programs for every single New Yorker.
01:41These are not programs that are going to ask the immigration status of any one of the children.
01:45All of those children are New Yorkers.
01:47They should all be enrolled in pre-K and 3K,
01:50no matter where they were born or where they come from.
01:52And we are also proud to be a sanctuary city.
01:57What a sanctuary city means is that we have policies in place,
02:00policies that have existed for years in this city,
02:03that deny ICE agents access into schools, hospitals, city properties,
02:09or even the properties of city contractors,
02:11unless those ICE agents can present a judicial warrant signed by a judge.
02:16We know that the vast majority of the time,
02:19ICE agents are not presenting that kind of documentation
02:21if they're presenting any documentation.
02:23It tends to be an administrative warrant,
02:25and oftentimes there isn't any documentation even provided.
02:28So we want to make clear the rights of every New Yorker that they have in the city,
02:32these programs being available to all,
02:34and the fact that we are proud of our values,
02:38we are proud of our laws,
02:39they keep us safe,
02:40and they are also part and parcel of who we are.
02:43Yeah, I'm just going to, before we take the next question,
02:45I'll remind folks again kindly,
02:46one question at a time, please,
02:47so we can get to as many people as possible.
02:49And Manzor, you want to go next?
02:51Thank you very much for having all of us,
02:55and also fulfilling your great initiative.
02:59You talk about this initiative during your campaign.
03:04My question is,
03:04it's a very high-quality child care program,
03:08so which you already mentioned during the campaign.
03:11So how this program will affect the communities of color,
03:18and simply can you define what is pre-K,
03:22and for our viewers who have language barrier,
03:26what is pre-K and 3K,
03:27and what kind of resources are you going to spend
03:33to send this message across the board?
03:35Thank you very much.
03:37So I really appreciate this question,
03:39because I think oftentimes in government,
03:41we become married to the language of government,
03:44and we get divorced from the reality of New Yorkers
03:47outside of government.
03:49So to put it very simply,
03:50this is child care for three-year-olds and four-year-olds.
03:55This is child care that we are delivering
03:58to every single family that applies for it,
04:02and it is free.
04:05And this is part of the $1.2 billion
04:09we secured from the state in funding
04:11goes towards fixing these programs.
04:15So the importance of this
04:18is that no matter what neighborhood you live in,
04:21no matter what zip code you have,
04:23you deserve the same level of quality
04:26in the child care you are receiving.
04:27We hold every classroom to the same standards,
04:31every classroom to the same ratios
04:32between children and teachers,
04:36every classroom to the same mission
04:38of delivering a high-quality public good
04:42to each and every New Yorker.
04:44And in the prior year,
04:46there was an allocation of about $5 million
04:48in funding for the outreach work
04:54of New York City public schools.
04:56So New York City public schools
04:58is currently utilizing
04:59that previously allocated funding.
05:01We are talking about funding
05:05that can have outreach teams,
05:07funding that can have posters
05:09on sidewalks or in a barbershop,
05:12funding that will ensure
05:14that New Yorkers are hearing this
05:16again and again and again
05:18until February 27th,
05:19because that is the deadline to sign up.
05:22And we want them to know
05:23that this is a program for them.
05:25It's a program they deserve.
05:26It's a program that belongs to the city
05:28that they call home.
05:29They should sign up for it.
05:30I mean, I don't know if you'd add
05:31or if you'd feel free.
05:32I think I would just add
05:33particularly to your question
05:35about what does this look like for families?
05:39I think that we would encourage families
05:41who may not be sure
05:43what an early childhood program looks like
05:46to go out and visit the programs
05:48in their community.
05:49We also have resources
05:50through the MySchools website
05:53and for families who want to talk
05:55with program leaders directly
05:56and get a better sense
05:57of what it might look like.
05:59Children in New York City's
06:00early childhood programs
06:01have an opportunity
06:02to learn through play
06:04and to grow and develop,
06:06which we know builds really strong,
06:09important social-emotional skills
06:10and helps them get ready
06:12for elementary school and beyond.
06:15We also offer many programs
06:17that have instruction
06:19in language other than English
06:20for children who speak
06:22another language at home
06:23and want the opportunity.
06:24Their families want the opportunity
06:25for them to learn both in English
06:27and in their native language.
06:29It's also a wonderful way
06:30for families who maybe
06:32don't speak that language at home
06:33but want to reconnect
06:34with a family heritage
06:36or have an opportunity
06:37to build connections
06:39with their neighbors
06:40in other cultural communities.
06:42And we offer early childhood programs
06:44in a range of different settings
06:45inside public schools
06:47but also in community-based programs
06:49and with home-based providers,
06:52many of whom speak
06:53another language themselves
06:54and may offer a setting
06:56that for families
06:57who are looking for something
06:58that looks and feels familiar to them
07:00that may reflect that as well.
07:05Yes, from Korea Daily, New York.
07:07Could you introduce yourself?
07:08Hi, my name is Jiye Yoon
07:09and I'm from Korea Daily, New York.
07:11And thank you for offering
07:13this opportunity.
07:14And I have a question
07:15about wait lists.
07:17So, like, during the interview
07:18with, like, people,
07:20families often tell us
07:21they apply
07:22but are ultimately, like,
07:24placed on wait lists
07:25or receive no placement.
07:27So, what steps is the city
07:29taking this year
07:30to reduce wait lists
07:31and increase
07:32successful placement?
07:35I can...
07:36Yeah, you want to jump in, Trina?
07:37Sure.
07:37Thank you for your question
07:38about wait lists
07:39because I think that sometimes
07:40families are often confused.
07:42And so, we would love
07:43to clear that up.
07:45So, wait lists
07:46is a mechanism
07:46for families to get closer
07:48to or their actual
07:50most preferred choice.
07:52As we all know,
07:52whenever you're applying,
07:54we're asking for families
07:55to rank their choices.
07:57And if they don't get
07:57their first or top choice,
07:59they are automatically
08:00added to the wait list
08:02for their top choices.
08:04So, for an example,
08:05if you got an offer
08:06to your fourth choice,
08:08we would assume
08:08that you would still want,
08:10if possible,
08:11to get to your third,
08:12second, and first choice
08:13if a seat became available.
08:15So, therefore,
08:16you are added
08:16to the wait list for that.
08:18Because you are on a wait list,
08:19it does not mean
08:20that you don't have an offer.
08:21And I think sometimes
08:22families are confused
08:24or sometimes when families
08:25are saying that they are
08:26on the wait list,
08:27other folks are confused
08:28and think that that meant
08:29that they didn't have an offer.
08:30As the mayor has mentioned
08:31before at the top
08:32of this conversation,
08:33if you apply by the deadline,
08:36you will get a seat.
08:37So, we will try to, of course,
08:39give you your most preferred choice.
08:41But if you don't,
08:42then you would be added
08:43on the wait list.
08:43And we think that
08:44that's just the best way
08:45for us to continue to monitor
08:46and for you to monitor
08:47because you could actually see
08:48in my schools
08:49your position on the wait list,
08:51which will change.
08:52As families get their offer,
08:54then you move up
08:55in the wait list.
08:56And so, we believe
08:57that that transparency
08:58also helps for you to know
09:00if you're going to get
09:00your choice or not.
09:01And the wait list is open
09:03until the middle of September.
09:05I don't have the date right now.
09:07Sorry.
09:08And I think that
09:09that is something
09:09that we're still trying
09:10to figure out.
09:11So, that is one thing.
09:12And the other question,
09:14just to emphasize,
09:15if you apply by the deadline,
09:16which is February 27th,
09:18and we encourage
09:18every family to apply,
09:20you will get an offer.
09:21I would just add as well,
09:24and I think the mayor
09:25has reflected this,
09:26but we are adding
09:27additional capacity this year,
09:29looking at neighborhoods
09:30where maybe families
09:32did get an offer last year,
09:33but it was just too far from home.
09:35And so, we will be adding
09:36additional 3K spots
09:38across the city
09:39to ensure that families
09:41get an option
09:42that works for them.
09:44Mariyama?
09:45How are you guys doing?
09:49I have a question
09:50about enrollment as well.
09:51So, when I looked
09:52at the statistics,
09:53black and Latino parents
09:54have like a pretty sharp drop-off
09:56when it comes to enrollment rates.
09:58And they surveyed
09:58if there was interest,
09:59and apparently that's
10:00not really a factor
10:01in how they fill out
10:02their applications.
10:04There's, for some reason,
10:05there's a gap between
10:06the application
10:06and the enrollment
10:07for black and Latino parents.
10:09And my question is,
10:10how do you improve
10:11the lottery system
10:12to make sure that they're,
10:13one, filling out
10:14the whole application
10:15or getting a chance
10:16to fill it out all the way?
10:18And then they're getting
10:19a seat that they actually want?
10:22You know,
10:22because apparently
10:23the location is a big factor
10:24when they're not.
10:25You know,
10:26I think I'll just add
10:27a few things here.
10:29When we secured
10:30on January 8th
10:32the $1.2 billion commitment
10:34from the governor
10:35and the state
10:36to deliver universal childcare,
10:39a significant portion of that
10:41was towards delivering childcare
10:42for two-year-olds.
10:44in a manner
10:45that has never been done
10:46before in our city.
10:48However,
10:49we should not lose sight
10:50of the fact that,
10:51as Emi had mentioned,
10:52there is a portion
10:54of that funds
10:55that is dedicated
10:57to fixing the issues
10:58of childcare
10:59for three-year-olds
11:00and for four-year-olds.
11:02And some of it
11:03is what has just been
11:04referred to right now,
11:05the need to increase capacity,
11:07the need to,
11:09and by doing so,
11:10to increase our ability
11:12to meet the needs
11:13of New Yorkers.
11:15Because
11:15if New Yorkers
11:17are not choosing
11:18to opt into the system,
11:19it's a reflection
11:19of inadequacies
11:20in the system itself.
11:22And so that's what
11:22we are working
11:23to rectify.
11:24I think the other aspect
11:25of this is
11:26we do not believe
11:28that we have exhausted
11:30every tool
11:31at our disposal
11:32to communicate
11:34to New Yorkers
11:35about this kind
11:35of a program.
11:36I think even
11:37just to Mansoor's question,
11:40so much of the language
11:40that is often used
11:41to talk about
11:42these programs,
11:43most New Yorkers
11:44might not instinctively
11:45understand it
11:45because it's not language
11:46of how we describe it
11:47ourselves in our own lives.
11:49So what we are looking at
11:50for these next,
11:52you know,
11:52little more than a month
11:53is every single possibility
11:56we have
11:57to what we call now
12:00GOTC,
12:02get out the childcare.
12:04In elections,
12:05you talk about GOTV,
12:06get out the vote,
12:07now it's GOTC,
12:08get out the childcare
12:09because we want
12:10every New Yorker
12:11to know about this program
12:12and frankly,
12:13the value of a program,
12:15you cannot even assess it
12:16if New Yorkers
12:17do not know of the program
12:18and this is one
12:19that's meant to serve them.
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