Analysis: NYC underfunding community-based early-childhood programs

The New York City Department of Education is “underfunding” early-childhood programs at the city’s settlement houses, which will make it difficult for the community-based centers to provide high-quality programs, according to an analysis released Wednesday by United Neighborhood Houses (UNH), which represents 42 settlement houses across the city.School-based preschool teachers with a bachelor’s degree, for example, receive a starting salary of $56,711, compared to $34,085 in settlement houses, according to the analysis, which was conducted in partnership with SeaChange Capital Partners, a bank that works with nonprofit organizations. The settlement houses currently run 50 EarlyLearn programs for children from birth to age 4, six family child care networks, and Pre-K for All and 3-K for All at 21 sites.UNH member houses, the report says, won’t “be able to grow, let alone maintain, their volume of service without considerably increased rates to close the salary gap,” cover indirect costs — such as IT, human resources and infrastructure — and ensure facilities meet health code requirements. During a press conference Wednesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the city has already taken "major steps to give them much greater parity. And there’s more to be done and we’re engaging them in that conversation."