State lawmakers on Thursday called for the disbursement of $69 million in federal child care funding that was part of the CARES Act. 

Part of the money, $10 million would go toward an essential worker scholarship program and is yet to be used. The stimulus measure initially sent New York $162 million for child care programs. 

Disbursement of the money is being sought as school in New York is set to begin in the coming weeks and many workers trying to head back to the office, or in some cases teachers back to the classroom. 

“With many schools going to hybrid or fully remote educational models, the need for childcare is more urgent than ever before,” said Assemblywoman Monica Wallace, a Democrat from Western New York.

“We need New York to release the remaining childcare funding from the CARES Act, so that parents can return to work knowing their children are being cared for. Without this funding, countless parents, including many essential healthcare workers, will be unable to return to work. That will hurt both our economic recovery and our efforts to contain COVID.”

Fellow Democratic Assemblywoman Didi Barrett of the Hudson Valley also called for the money to be allocated now by the state as child care providers have also struggled during the pandemic. 

“Right now many families are struggling with hybrid and remote school schedules, making care for school age kids a new and critical piece of the caregiving puzzle," she said. "Affordable, high-quality child care is critical for our state’s recovery, and I’ll continue doing everything I can to make that a reality for more New Yorkers.”