NEW YORK, NY April 11, 2008 — The city wants to shutdown what it says are under-utilized daycare centers, but parents, daycare workers and elected officials gathered at City Hall yesterday to say they're going to fight the plan.

City officials say they are wasting $40 million on 3,000 vacant slots at various daycare centers around the city and they can't continue to fund them if they aren't being used.

But, protesters at City Hall contend that bureaucratic red tape makes it hard for parents to apply for the slots.

Parent Yolanda Curry, who has 4-year-old twins, says if they close down her daycare in Brooklyn, she won't be able to keep her job as a life insurance agent.

CURRY: If I can't make any money, we remain in low-income poverty level status and I want to move up from that.

REPORTER: At a City Council hearing, John Mattingly, head of the Administration for Children's Services, says they'll work with community leaders to try to fill the centers. But he said, they'll be closed down as a last resort if they can't reach that goal.

For WNYC, I'm Elaine Rivera.