Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics state lawmakers August 27, called for the spending of $69 million in federal child care funding that was part of the CARES Act. Ten million of the allocation would go toward an essential worker scholarship program and is yet to be used. The stimulus measure initially awarded New York $162 million for child care programs. Distribution of the funds is being sought as school statewide is set to begin and many workers are trying to head back to the office, or as teachers are heading back to the classroom. “We need New York to release the remaining childcare funding from the CARES Act, so that parents can return to work knowing their children are being cared for...,” said Assemblymember Monica Wallace, a Democrat from western New York. Wallace's fellow Democrat, Assemblymember Didi Barrett of Hudson, also called for the money to be allocated now as child care providers have also struggled during the pandemic. "Affordable, high-quality child care is critical for our state’s recovery, and I’ll continue doing everything I can to make that a reality for more New Yorkers,” Barrett said. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.