Chair Gutiérrez asks about network providers and independent home-based providers
Gutiérrez raises concerns that only network-affiliated home-based providers can participate, leaving out independent providers. She asks how the administration plans to include them.
Next, I want to ask, this is kind of a big one, and we spent some time on it in the past, and I think a little bit of it Councilmember Santoso had raised.
The concern that I have had and shared with the city expanding a program, and right now the 2K, 2,000 seats, as I am clear, are both home-based and center-based, but only for network providers, right?
So that is, I'm Jennifer, and I am my own provider in my home, but I am a part of Kayla's network, right?
That is exclusively how the system is working today.
We have a good population of providers who are running their own business that I think, based on feedback, have had mixed experiences with networks.
Either they've called networks up themselves saying they're interested and networks have said, we cannot take on a new provider, or they've made the determination.
that it just doesn't work for their model.
Some networks charge them, right?
And then some providers like the flexibility.
And I truly don't think that we can get to a universal system or let alone a 2K expansion system if we're not including those providers.
They are in boroughs like in Brooklyn and Queens.
We depend on those.
In areas where there are legitimate deserts, we depend on these providers.
How are you all looking at these providers, these individual businesses, and including them in this 2K process, in the universal process?
I just don't think that there is a universal successful system without these providers.