AMSTERDAM, N.Y. -- Like many childcare providers, Dianne Madej begins her day early. Taking care of play time, nap time and meal time, all before noon.
“It's very busy. It can be messy and playful and fun,” said Dianne Madej, Child Care Provider.
All that activity leaves little time to deal with business. And when you're dealing with state regulators and delayed payments from the county, it can all be overwhelming.
“Hopefully through a union we can establish a louder voice and be heard through the state,” said Madej.
“We want to do this better, we want to do this at a higher quality,” said Ed Gresco, CSEA Organizer.
Like many childcare providers, Dianne Madej begins her day early. Taking care of play time, nap time and meal time, all before noon.
Not everyone agrees with that. E.J. McMahon of the think tank Empire Center says this deal was more about recruiting political foot soldiers than child care. He says raising state subsidies, will increase child care costs across the board and eventually hit the tax payer.
“But that ultimately is going to have a ripple effect that drives up the price for everyone,” said E.J. McMahon, Empire Center Director.
“There are always going to be people who are worried about their taxes going up but I really don't think that is going to be a factor,” said Gresco.
Dianne says a rate hike may be inevitable. She's had to deal with higher prices on nearly everything from food to toys, all while keeping her prices competitive.
“It's tight, but we manage, there's reasons childcare providers are doing what they're doing,” said Madej.
With the support of the union, those are reasons Dianne say she'll have a little more time to focus on.