Governor Kathy Hochul emphasized her plan to establish universal child care for children under five throughout New York State, citing new data that shows a strong connection between access to affordable child care and economic stability. Hochul met with Women in Need (Win) President Christine Quinn and families experiencing homelessness to discuss the challenges they face in finding affordable child care and how universal access could ease financial pressures.
“My administration is laser-focused on making life more affordable and livable for New Yorkers — and that’s exactly why expanding access to affordable child care has been a top priority of mine since day one,” Governor Hochul said. “For far too many families from all walks of life, the massive expense of child care creates an insurmountable burden on their monthly budgets. Universal child care gives all families the chance to thrive — no matter their income status or neighborhood. Every New Yorker deserves a roof over their heads, a meal on the table, and a safe place to raise their kids.”
Christine C. Quinn, Win President and CEO, said, “Achieving universal child care for our most vulnerable families is critical to solving New York’s unprecedented homelessness crisis. We know that parents cannot provide for themselves and their families if they cannot go to work, and they can’t go to work if they do not have access to safe, reliable, and affordable child care. Today, there are more children sleeping in New York City’s homeless shelters than there are seats in Yankee Stadium and 3,600 children sleeping in Win shelters each night — that is a tragedy. We released this report to expose the devastating reality that inaccessible child care is a key driver of housing instability for parents living in shelters. No parent should have to choose between caring for their child and earning a paycheck.”
According to data from Win, 78 percent of surveyed families living in Win facilities experienced at least one job disruption due to difficulty accessing child care. These disruptions included losing jobs, turning down promotions, or reducing work hours.
Earlier this week, Governor Hochul joined Mayor Mamdani in announcing progress toward free child care for two-year-olds in New York City as part of a $1.2 billion investment aimed at early childhood education efforts within the city. This funding includes $73 million dedicated to creating the first 2,000 “2-K” seats as well as continued support for expanding 3K infrastructure citywide.
Manhattan Borough President Brad Holman-Sigal stated: “I’m grateful to Governor Hochul, Mayor Mamdani, and Christine Quinn for shining a light on the clear connection between access to child care and family homelessness. Win’s report makes plain that when parents can’t find or afford reliable child care, it becomes far harder to keep a job, maintain stability, and move their families out of shelter. In Manhattan, where infant care can cost $25,000 to $30,000 a year, these pressures are especially severe. Governor Hochul’s leadership and her commitment to expanding access to child care will make a real difference for working families and help more parents secure the stability their children deserve.”
Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York has significantly increased investment in its Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which provides subsidies for low-income families seeking childcare services. The program now serves about 2.5 times more children—an additional 100,000—compared with when Hochul took office; nearly 25 percent more children were served over the past year alone.
The current budget plans include increasing state investments by $1.2 billion this year alone—bringing total subsidy funding above $3 billion—which represents more than three times what was allocated before Hochul became governor.
Efforts are also underway toward providing truly universal Pre-K across all school districts by the start of the 2028-2029 school year through additional seat funding as well as increases in per-pupil support.
In addition to statewide measures such as pilot programs with Dutchess County, Monroe County and Broome County totaling $60 million aimed at improving options especially for infants and toddlers up through age three regardless of family income levels—a new Office of Child Care and Early Education will oversee implementation efforts across programs including Pre-K expansion.
To address workforce needs within early childhood education fields further steps include expanded scholarships for educators-in-training along with new grant opportunities via SUNY/CUNY systems.
Since taking office Governor Hochul’s administration has:
– More than doubled both the number of children served by vouchers (with almost 25 percent growth just last year) as well as overall childcare funding.
– Expanded eligibility so households earning up to approximately $114,000 annually may qualify.
– Capped costs at $15 per week for most subsidy recipients.
– Raised provider reimbursement rates by nearly half.
– Supported creation of thousands of new childcare seats statewide through capital investments exceeding $150 million.
Universal child care gives all families the chance to thrive — no matter their income status or neighborhood.
Governor Kathy Hochul