Hochul highlights state's investment in universal child care

ALBANY | Gov. Kathy Hochul joined elected leaders, parents, and advocates at the Vanderbilt YMCA Monday to highlight childcare investments in the Fiscal Year 2027 New York State Budget. Gov. Hochul is putting New York State on a concrete path to universal child care, beginning with investments that will support the delivery of affordable child care to up to 100,000 additional children. "As New York's first mom Governor, I've consistently delivered one clear message to New Yorkers: your family is my fight," Gov. Hochul said. "Too many families across this state are struggling with the exorbitant cost of childcare. This year, I'm proud that we're making childcare more affordable and accessible across our state, delivering relief for working parents and making New York the best state in the country to raise healthy kids and families." New Yorkers United for Child Care Executive Director Rebecca Ballin said, "Parents have been organizing for years to make universal child care a reality in New York, and today we're closer than we've ever been. These investments will help parents stay in the workforce, help families stay in New York, and make raising a child here something more families can actually afford." In the State Budget, Gov. Hochul put the state on a path to universal, affordable child care, beginning with committing to investments that will support the delivery of affordable child care to up to 100,000 additional children. The investment will increase funding by $1.7 billion, bringing the total FY27 investment to $4.5 billion for child care and pre-kindergarten services statewide. These investments will: Make Pre-K truly universal statewide with funding to make high-quality Pre-K seats available for all four-year-olds in New York by the start of the 2028-29 school year and increasing State grants to existing programs to ensure high-quality care. Partner with New York City to launch the new 2-Care program and finally realize the promise of universal 3K access in New York City. Enhance the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit to help defray childcare expenses for 230,000 New York families by increasing the benefit by an average of $576. Support the development of New York's 'First 3' program, which will partner with counties to offer high-quality, affordable child care to children 0-3 regardless of income. Make historic investments in the Child Care Assistance Program, delivering high-quality, affordable child care to tens of thousands of additional young New Yorkers that is capped at $15 a week for most families. Support the child care workforce through early childhood educator preparation. Alongside these commitments, New York will launch an Office of Child Care and Early Education to steer the implementation of high-quality, universal child care for New York families, and will work to enhance awareness of the Empire State Child Credit to ensure as many families as possible benefit from the expansion of New York's child tax credit, which increased the credit from $330 per child to $1,000 per child for children under four and $500 per child for children ages four through 16.

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Hochul highlights state's investment in universal child care

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