North Country Matters Videos

North Country Matters Videos

Type: 
News

North Country Matters Presents: The NYS League of Women Voter’s Rural Caucus

North Country Matters host Donna Seymour talks with Kathleen Stein, president of the St. Lawrence County League of Women Voters and the convener of the NYS League’s Rural Caucus. The Rural Caucus formed in 2020 during the Covid pandemic as a way for smaller, rural Leagues in New York State to discuss issues and plan action together. They meet every other month to work collaboratively on issues of common concern like voting, child and eldercare, health care, disability rights, social justice issues, economic and environmental issues. Some of their successes include the LWV US taking positions on rural broadband and local journalism. In 2025, the RC is working on hospital closures, maternity deserts, early intervention services for children with special needs and the changes to the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) for Home Care. (Filmed 13 February 2025)

 

 

 

North Country Matters Presents: What Child Care Needs in the 2025 NY State Budget

North Country Matters host Donna Seymour talks with Shoshana Hershkowitz, the Campaign Manager for the Empire State Campaign for Child Care and the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy. They discuss what went right – and wrong – in last year’s child care campaign and what needs to happen in 2025 to make childcare affordable and available in New York State, which has the fifth highest costs for infant care in the country and where 60% of census tracts are childcare deserts. This year’s budget asks include $1.2 billion investment to increase compensation for child care workers, guarantee assistance for families earning less than 250% of the federal poverty line, and enhanced reimbursement rates for children with special needs. Shoshana provides practical advice for parents and childcare providers to advocate for their needs with the legislature to give a living wage to workers in the field to keep them providing the high quality care all children need to thrive and keep the economy growing. (Recorded 14 February 2025)

 

League to which this content belongs: 
Utica-Rome Metropolitan Area