A bill penned by Assemblywoman Addie Russell that would cap out of pocket childcare expenses has passed the state Assembly.

The bill, which was passed along with several other pieces of legislation aimed at making childcare more affordable, limits a family’s co-payment to 20 percent of their income above the poverty line and will be accompanied by state appropriations to offset any increase in costs faced by county social service agencies.

“The high cost of child care places an enormous financial burden on parents that are already struggling to make ends meet,” Russell said. “In order for these families to survive, the parents must work, making child care an absolute necessity. Enhancing the state’s child care subsidy program will help working families by putting affordable, quality child care within their reach and help local childcare providers grow their businesses.”

Russell is a member of the Assembly Childcare Workgroup that developed the package of legislation. The group formed last May to study child are issues and better understand the challenges faced by working parents.

Russell said the group sought feedback from representatives of the child care industry including providers, parents, advocates and evidence-based researchers to explore potential measures for increasing availability and access to child care.

As part of the package, the Assembly also passed several measures aimed at supporting childcare providers:

• A. 8924 creates a task force to review burdensome regulations placed on childcare providers that are duplicative or unnecessary and create administrative burdens for child care providers.

• A. 8926 requires social service districts to reimburse providers for at least 6 absences per child in 3 months, reducing uncertainty for childcare providers and stabilizing their reimbursements; accompanied by state appropriation;

• A. 8927 harmonizes subsidy requirements and state regulations by defining an infant as a child under two years old. The current inconsistency results in a six-month gap in reimbursements to childcare providers; accompanied by state appropriation;

Russell represents several St. Lawrence County municipalities along the St. Lawrence River including Ogdensburg, Lisbon, Waddington and Louisville.