Rockland County Haredi Yeshiva Students Get Free Childcare At Government Expense

Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com



A free childcare program meant to help unemployed or marginally employed New York State parents find and keep decent jobs is being used by haredi yeshiva students to pay for their children’s childcare, the Journal News reported.



Rockland County Social Services (RDSS) administers a child care program meant to provide temporary assistance for needy parents who are actively looking for work or who have jobs. The program has a long waiting list – as of this week, 381 families with an estimated 700 children – and no additional families can get free childcare until a family currently getting that benefit leaves the program.



RDSS issued a ruling banning haredi kollel (advanced yeshiva) students from getting free childcare from that program because the stipends they receive from their yeshivas is not the same thing as actually looking for a job or working.



The ruling was issued after state auditors noticed that FICA taxes were not taken from the yeshiva student’s “wages” and found that they did not qualify as employees.



Three haredi kollel families challenged that RDSS ruling, and this week a state administrative hearing judge ruled their yeshiva study counts as work, and ordered RDSS to reinstate those families to the program.



Administrative Law Judge Joel Dulberg ruled the students were paid student employees despite the fact that the yeshiva did not take FICA or any other taxes from their “wages.” Eligibility for child care subsidy is based on both parents receiving wages at a level equal to or greater than the minimum wage (or actively seeking work), Dulberg said.



While Dulberg’s ruling was for those three specific families, dozens of other kollel families may now be able to get free childcare as a result.



RDSS has reportedly asked for a rehearing before another judge.



"These are full-time students who study for hours a day and they say they have to be available for a certain number of hours to answer questions from people. For us, they are not employees. My thought is it just doesn't pass the smell test. If this is not an abuse [of the program], it's clearly a misuse. At the very least the employer needs to deduct FICA,” RDSS Commissioner Susan Sherwood told the Journal News.



The three kollel families who successfully challenged the RDSS ruling received $52,450 in the 10 months they were in the program before being declared ineligible.



Those three kollel families (along with most of the other kollel families ruled ineligible) also receive Medicaid, Food Stamps and heating allowances.



One of those three kollel families reported an annual income of $22,499 in 2013. But that same kollel family received $32,073 in child care subsidies, plus $29,742 in Medicaid and $7,908 in Food Stamps, that year, as well – a total of $92,222. This family has four children.



The second family reported a $15,120 income, while receiving $5,535 in child care subsidies, as well as $25,060 Medicaid and $9,048 in Food Stamps – a total of $54,763. This family has four children.



The third family reported an annual income of $19,944, with $14,843 in child care subsidies, plus $16,283 in Medicaid and $6,612 in food stamps – a total of $57,682. This family has three children.



Sherwood told the paper that some families have been receiving free childcare for 20 to 30 years – effectively blocking other needy families from getting help.



The three kollel families claimed that while they study all or most of the day, they are paid to be available to answer religious questions.

[Hat Tip: Devorah.]