Navigating the Child Care Crisis: Solutions for New York City Families

If you're a parent, know a parent, or are considering parenthood, you're likely aware of the crisis in child care. From a lack of availability to skyrocketing tuition costs, accessing quality child care in New York City is becoming increasingly difficult. But why is child care so expensive? Why are waitlists inevitable from the moment you're expecting? And what can be done to address this daunting issue?

Join the Downtown Alliance and Better Child Care NYC on May 14 for a panel discussion addressing the challenges facing child care in New York and the efforts underway to improve the situation. Our panelists will explore the policies and regulations contributing to the city's child care shortage and affordability crisis, as well as the solutions being pursued by their organizations.

Gain insights into the broader factors influencing the child care industry and discover how individuals and organizations can collaborate to build a child care system that enables all New Yorkers to thrive in the city they love.

Speakers include:

• Charles Bonello, co-founder and CEO, Vivvi
• Grace Rauh, Founding Executive Director, 5BORO Institute
• Dr. Cecilia Scott-Croff, Executive Director, BMCC Early Childhood Center Inc; Governing Board President of the New York Association for the Education of Young Children
• Marjorie Velázquez, Vice President of Policy, TechNYC

About Our Speakers:

Charles Bonello is a business leader and innovator focused on helping companies create workplaces where employees can thrive. As the co-founder and CEO of Vivvi, Charles is dedicated to making child care more accessible and affordable for parents while providing employers with a powerful tool for recruitment, retention and productivity.

Prior to founding Vivvi, Charles co-founded Grand Central Tech and played an instrumental role in nurturing and growing it into New York's largest, most selective, and inclusive tech ecosystem, with over 100,000 square feet and 100 companies. Additionally, he served as a venture partner at RTP Ventures, where he focused on investments in the financial technology, healthcare, and industrial sectors. Charles began his career at Fred Alger Management and River Twice Capital as a buy-side research associate, where he covered the consumer sector.

Charles is a thought leader and advocate in the child care space, and has been featured in numerous publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Forbes. He also appears regularly at events and on panels as a speaker and expert. Charles holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from Tufts University. He currently resides in New York with his wife Kathleen and their children, Grace, Elizabeth, and Charles.

Grace Rauh is the founding executive director of the 5BORO Institute, an innovative and action-oriented think tank advancing creative solutions to strengthen NYC. 5BORO partners with policymakers, the private sector, academia, and community leaders to tackle NYC's biggest challenges with innovative thinking and actionable plans. 5BORO has been working to improve child care access and affordability for families in NYC.

Grace is a former award-winning journalist who spent 11 years as an on-air political reporter at NY1 News, focusing on city, state, and national politics. She hosted NY1’s weekly podcast “Off Topic/On Politics” and was the guest host of NY1’s nightly public affairs show, “Inside City Hall.” Grace was awarded the Society of Professional Journalists’ national Sunshine Award for her contributions to open government. After leaving NY1, Grace led communications at BridgeBio Pharma. During Grace’s tenure, BridgeBio had its first two FDA drug approvals and was named one of Fast Company’s most innovative biotech companies. Grace’s writing has been published in The New York Times, The Atlantic and the New York Daily News, and she has made numerous appearances on MSNBC to provide political analysis. She graduated with honors from Stanford University and lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their two daughters.

Prior to her current role, Marjorie Velázquez served on the New York City Council representing District 13 in the Northeast Bronx from 2022 to 2023. During her tenure, she chaired the Consumer and Worker Protection Committee. In this role, she championed several key initiatives, including a landmark ruling mandating a minimum wage for gig economy workers, securing funding for public transit and safety improvements, and passing bills to strengthen tenant rights. Leveraging her experience and connections, Velázquez now serves as Vice President of Policy for Tech:NYC, where she works to bridge the gap between City Hall, Albany, and New York's growing tech sector.

Dr. Cecilia Scott-Croff is a National Council on Black American Affairs (NCBAA), Salzburg and Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) Leadership Fellow. Cecilia currently serves as the President of the New York Association for the Education of Young Children (NYAEYC). She is in her 18th year as the Executive Director of the BMCC Early Childhood Center Inc. She also serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the College where her pedagogical practices include observation, assessment, and disabilities studies of Young Children. She has taught graduate, undergraduate, and continuing education courses. A weaver and collaborator, Cecilia is all about diversity, equity and inclusion which includes her participation in Reimagining our Work with Young Children (ROW), and advocates for men in early childhood. She presents nationally and internationally. She has been named 2024 Early Childhood Global Leader by the World Forum. She has graced the Cover of Childcare Exchange Magazine. She is a New York State certified special educator, early childhood educator, and administrator, and holds the New York State Certified Professional Administrator Credential (CPAC). She holds a doctorate degree in Executive Leadership (Ed.D.) and is a certified Child Abuse Trainer, New York State Early Intervention Service Provider, approved Training in the Needs of Children with Autism Provider, and approved Coursework or Training in Harassment, Bullying, and Discrimination Prevention and Intervention required under the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) provider.

As a major grant writer, she has secured more than ten million dollars in funding for her program. She sits on the board of the Early Childhood Center, New York Association for the Education of Young Children (NYAEYC) and the National Coalition for Campus Children’s Centers (NCCCC). She is deeply honored to serve as a member of the Trinity Neighborhood Council.