Mayor Mamdani’s “Parent’s Night Out Scheme”

[orangejuiceinthekitchen]

AIBU to say we need something like this in the UK?

The premise is pretty simple - 500 families get 4 funded hours of evening childcare. Childcare centres will be paid by the city to look after kids aged 6-13 for four hours, the kids will be fed dinner and entertained.

The parents get four hours to do whatever they want - it’s obviously hoped they’ll go out to dinner and spend money in the local community.

If it’s a success, they’ll expand it to other age groups and more children.

AIBU to think this is exactly the type of thing that we need in this country?! It would do so much to stimulate the economy and also just be a boost to people.

The only way is to state run nurseries the same way they do schools. Its how this us achieved in european countries. Otherwise nursery chains are run at a profit with super swanky facilities at unecessary expense

As others have said I’m not sure how many parents would want to leave their young children out until late when they would normally be in bed. So it would only apply to a very small amount of people with children young enough to need looking after and old enough to not need to be in bed by 9-10pm.

The other issue would be what if parents were late picking them up? At nursery you need to pay if you’re late. What if the parents went out and got carried away and were half an hour late? An hour late? Because I guarantee the staff will not be paid overtime like they are in nursery.

The OP got the premise of the scheme a little wrong. Quote :

"The premise is pretty simple - 500 families get 4 funded hours of evening childcare. Childcare centres will be paid by the city to look after kids aged 6-13 for four hours, the kids will be fed dinner and entertained."

It's not Childcare centers. It's NYC Parks centers.

"NEW YORK – Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura announced the launch of NYC Parks’ first-ever Parents’ Night Out, a free, one-night drop-off program that gives parents and caregivers the opportunity to enjoy an evening to themselves while children participate in supervised fun at select NYC Parks recreation centers across the five boroughs."

Seems a good idea to me, worth trying out. They have the parks, they have the trained park staff. At most it will cost a bit of overtime. It is not the government paying childcare centers.

And I think it is worth considering that many of these sort of projects will not be " Socialist Mayor imposing socialism". But will be staff led ideas. In this case, it looks like NY Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura played a big part.

Here is the NYC official link.

Mayor Mamdani Announces First-Ever NYC Parks “Parents’ Night Out,” Giving Parents and Caregivers a Free Evening Off - NYC Mayor's Office

It is trained park staff in existing park recreation centers.

From the official website -

"Children’s Activities
The program is for children between the ages of 6 and 13. Kids can enjoy:

• Sports & fitness activities
• Arts & crafts
• Media programs
• Nature exploration
• Free dinner and snacks

And more!"

Official website here.

Parents' Night Out! : NYC Parks (nycgovparks.org)

Seems a good idea to me. Existing facilities, existing staff. A bit of staff overtime at most. I imagine the biggest cost was the lawyers drawing up the waiver. But then again, this is NYC, and they will have gangs of lawyers on staff already.

I cant see it making a dent in the pay packet of a wall street trader, forcing them to move to Dubai or wherever.

And it's 4-8 pm on one Sunday, Not 11 at night.

Worth a trial I would have thought.

This - I wouldn’t take his input on anything to do with child rearing - he is an absolute horror

Why should I pay for parents to have a night out? They chose to have kids, they can sort their own childcare. Surely when you have kids you accept you won’t be going on as many nights out as before. Ridiculous concept.

A Sunday afternoon in the park. 4-8 pm, in existing park recreation centers with existing park staff. What is he going to do ?

Or should all the kids be in Church then ?

No? I just wouldn’t listen to an antisemite - you do you though

Also, church is not 4-8pm so not sure what you are talking about?

How do they pick the 500 families? A random lottery? Or are there criteria that have to be met? And how will it help the city (if that's part of the goal) if the parents just take advantage of the alone time to stay at home, nap, and have sex, without spending any money?

Also, where is the childcare taking place? Who is running it? Personally, I'd have been uninterested in taking it up as I'm not particularly trusting of childcare in general, and I wouldn't want my children to be out being looked after by strangers in the evening, when normally they'd be at home getting tucked up in bed.

It's a single Sanday afternoon trial. 4-8 pm. I posted a couple of links above with details.

I doubt you are paying for NY park staff for the trial. And if you are, then that means you are in NY and paying for them anyway.

Seems to be a fun event for the kids.

When mine was daycare age, the daycare had that a few months a year - especially around (obviously a week or so before) Christmas, etc. or you could arrange for a daycare teacher to watch your kid in the evening at your place so you can go out. It was very reasonably priced as well.

BECAUSE nothing is free. We pay for everything through taxes. My family pay top taxes and take nothing. Now you want us to pay for you to go out and the baby sitter too!!!!

Is he? How so?

You expect taxpayers to pay for your babysitter? FFS.

Quote " My family pay top taxes and take nothing."

So you don't use roads ?

Nobody is paying for baby sitters. It is an afternoon for the kids in a park. With trained park staff, in existing park facilities.

Do you reaally begrdge some NY kids a Sunday afternoon having fun in a park while the parents/carers do something else ?

It's also registration on a first come basis. It's not just for poor people. Hey, you can drop the kids off while you go down to the marina to polish your yacht if you want. Or give the nanny a few hours off to go see her sick mom.

If you look into it Mamdani has saved tons of money from various initiatives like collecting massive fines owed to the state from corporations like Amazon. So he's able to give back to the people, he's amazing! Not to mention this scheme also helps keep these kids off the streets, hanging with the wrong crowds etc.

As a parent of young children I also think there are far better things to spend money on - for both parents and non-parents. Also, DH and I work all week, the only time we spend as a family is at the weekend, I'm not giving up an afternoon with the kids, I'd rather do something with them tbh. If this was to support those working shifts (though they had some evening/weekend childcare available) I'd be more supportive.

Can’t bear the cunt so not interested.

Nobody is demanding you give up your kids on Sunday August 16th 4-8 pm for them to attend a socialism indoctrination meeting in a NY park recreation center.

But if you happen to be in one of those parks at that time with your kids, you might give them a wave. Before the "Mamdani" kids emerge waving their red flags and pitchforks at the ready to overthrow capitalism and convert NYC into a socialist utopia.

Then again, looking at the official website, it looks like the kids will be doing kid things. So capitalism can breath easy it seems. And you can do what you normally do.

I'd prefer to see more investment in communities for parents and young children such as playgroups and community spaces/sure start centres etc. Support that encourages family friendly working conditions.. Things that's would encourage parents to network and make their own connections and support networks so that they could share childcare etc.

Interesting you picked up in the fact I said I wouldn't use it and not that fact I said that there are far far better things to spend the money on... like childcare for those who work evenings/weekends (which I don't)

The idea is lovely but I’d much rather the money was spent on more worthwhile causes. Like getting a dentist of gp appointment. It’s a fantastic idea and maybe if based in an entertainment setting of a city it may well be a decent business venture. But to have it funded by the tax payer. Nope,

😂 I’m guessing you’re not a Trump supporter and don’t think too favourably of him? Given the number of US citizens that voted for him, they clearly disagree with you.

That sounds good, introduces children to new activities and friends and parents get a few hours free as a bonus. Might then result in parents paying for their children to attend activities long-term and pay for itself.