The chair of the State Assembly's Committee on Labor says New York State needs to work more funding for child care into its next budget.

Democrat Susan John of Rochester is holding hearings around the state along with the committees on Social Services and Children and Families.

John says there are excellent child care programs around the state, but it's tough for working families to afford one for their children. She says the committees are gathering information for the state budget process now getting underway in Albany, hoping to increase the amount of money the state issues to county governments for subsidized child care.

If a single parent can't get child care during their working hours, then John says that parent can't work. She says it needs to be easier for low-income families to get subsidized child care, and the rules should be consistent from county-to-county.

For instance, in Monroe County the policy is to offer subsidized child care only to families earning 140 percent of the poverty level. 200 percent is more common statewide.

Ray Sampson of the Greater Rochester United Way says that's denied care to thousands of Rochester-area children. He says the number of children in subsidized child care in Monroe County has dropped by 38 percent since 2001 when the policy changed.

Full text available at WXXI