UFT President Michael Mulgrew, union leaders, and the chair of the City Council Education Committee on Wednesday demanded New York City New to stop stalling and pay childcare providers the more than $500,000 they are owed for caring for city children.

Mulgrew, at a press conference on City Hall steps, said New York City owed 47 union childcare providers a combined $539,469 for services they provided in May and June.

The childcare providers were supposed to be paid by Highbridge Advisory Council Family Services, but the network shut down without paying the providers what was owed.

New York City, which paid Highbridge to provide the childcare, reneged on an earlier pledge to find a way to get the childcare provider paid, Mulgrew said. Last week, city officials said they suddenly could not make the childcare providers whole.

"The City is not doing its job, and once again it is the workers who are suffering because of it," Mulgrew said. "Mr. Mayor, pay your workers, pay the people who are serving the community."

Tammie Miller, UFT chapter chair for the childcare providers, said the Department of Education, city and state officials all failed in their responsibilities to make sure Highbridge was a financially stable organization and that it paid its workers.

"I remember during the pandemic everyone hailed (childcare providers) as everyday heroes. I remember that every day this city worked because of their dedication in opening their doors and hearts so families across the city could get to work. And now we've taken these dedicated workers from their rightful title of essential workers and turned them into unpaid workers," Miller said. "We cannot allow this."

The UFT worked on behalf of these providers and as of July 1 all of the children still being cared for were transitioned to voucher status and so the providers were paid for the work they are doing from July going forward.

But they are still collectively owed more than half a million dollars - on average $11,000 per provider.

"We are struggling day by day," said Juana Reanos of Juana Reanos Group Family Daycare. She said she worked for the Highbidge network for more than 20 years. Then it shuttered "and left us hung up, without payment," she said. She was forced to let her single employee go because she couldn't make payroll.

City Council Member and Education Chair Rita Joseph pledged her support to get the childcare providers what they were owed.

"We respect you. I hear you. I see you and I will fight for you inside these halls until you get every single dollar you deserve," she said.