The city launched an initiative to expand low-cost and free child care for thousands of families. Through the passage of State legislation that would raise the qualifying income threshold for subsidized child care and extend full-time child care support to families who work part-time, the city could expand child care access to an additional 15,000 high-need children.
Many families across the city are struggling with job, economic, health and housing instability, and enabling them to access child care is a critical step towards recovery from the pandemic.
New York State has received, but not yet distributed more than $2 billion in federal stimulus money, which would help further expand child care for working families citywide as part of the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding, coupled with additional state and federal flexibility, could expand child care access to thousands more families, and provide workforce support, capacity building and other support for child care providers.