Elvan Sahin

United Neighborhood Houses (UNH) is a policy and social change organization representing 44 settlement houses that reach 765,000 New Yorkers. UNH mobilizes our members and their communities to advocate for good public policies and promote strong organizations and practices that keep neighborhoods resilient and thriving for all New Yorkers. The Leading Edge Fellow will advance UNH’s long-standing advocacy for funding, policies, and programs that increase access to child care in New York, in the increasingly dire circumstances caused by disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Childcare is essential for children’s healthy development and educational success and is a key economic driver. Yet, in New York City, 93% of families cannot afford the current market rate for center-based care. The fellow will generate written reports and products that include quantitative and qualitative data with two goals: to support effective advocacy at the New York City and State level and to provide information that settlement houses and other community-based organizations can use to enhance programming for children and families.