Itʼs 3:00 p.m., do you know where your children are? New Yorkʼs inadequate use of federal funds that have led to the continuance of childcare deserts

• Published date: 01 April 2022
• Author: Kayla Marie Griffin
• Date: 01 April 2022
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12644

STUDENT NOTES

Itʼs 3:00 p.m., do you know where your children

are? New Yorkʼs inadequate use of federal funds

that have led to the continuance of childcare

deserts

Kayla Marie Griffin

Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, Bethpage, New York, USA

Correspondence

Kayla Marie Griffin, Maurice A. Deane School

of Law at Hofstra University, 14 Silber

Avenue, Bethpage, NY 11714, USA.

Email: kgriffin3@pride.hofstra.edu

Abstract

In New York, low-income families, urban communities, and

rural areas are suffering from a lack of childcare. This inade-

quacy leads to the formation of childcare deserts; areas

where families do not have access to childcare. Because of

the vague guidelines proposed by federal grants, New York

has misused federal funds, which has led to the continuance

of childcare deserts. This Note proposes specifying federal

funding guidelines, which can better allocate funds to needy

families, as well as creating a volunteer program for high

school students to create before and aftercare programs in

public schools.

KEYWORDS

aftercare, beforecare, childcare deserts, every student succeeds act,

public schools, school aged children, temporary assistance for

needy families funding

Key points for the family court community

•Childcare deserts are areas or communities with limited

or no access to childcare and as of 2020, 60% of Ameri-

cans live in childcare deserts.

•More specifically, as of 2017, 67% of New Yorkers are

living in childcare deserts.

DOI: 10.1111/fcre.12644

© 2022 Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

322 Family Court Rev. 2022;60:322–336.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fcre