NEW YORK, NY — EdTrust-New York welcomes Governor Hochul’s and Mayor Mamdani’s public commitment today to deliver universal child care for all children under five. Every young New Yorker deserves access to affordable, safe, high-quality, and culturally responsive early childhood system, yet too many families cannot secure it. By announcing a $4.5 billion investment this year – and committing to additional funding in future years – the Governor is making an essential and long overdue promise to our youngest residents, their families, the child-care workforce, and the strength and equity of New York’s future economy.
We applaud the Governor’s plan for prioritizing the statewide expansion of universal pre-K. New York City has worked toward universal pre-K for more than a decade and extending this opportunity statewide will ensure more children start kindergarten ready to thrive. We also commend the Governor’s pledge to advance New York City’s 3-K expansion. This investment is critical. The Comptroller reports that New York City requires approximately 16,000 additional seats this year to meet current demand. As the state and city moves this work forward, it must ensure that as many new pre-K and 3-K seats as possible offer full-day and after-school options, and that programs are strategically placed in the neighborhoods where families need them.
We are equally encouraged by the Governor’s commitment to New York City Mayor Mamdani’s Two-Care Plan. We deeply appreciate that the Governor’s proposal prioritizes piloting 2-Care expansion in neighborhoods with the greatest need, and urge state and city leaders to strengthen that commitment in the final plan. We also urge them to protect immigrant and mixed-status families by ensuring the voucher structure does not rely on federal funding that could undermine eligibility.
At the same time, the expansion of pre-K, 3-K, and 2-Care programs must address the ripple effects on infant and toddler care. When older children move into school-based programs, the cost of infant and toddler care often rises sharply, placing even greater financial pressure on families. Even without universal care, the state narrowly avoided a major Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) funding shortfall last year, and thousands of New York City families remain on waitlists for assistance. These families must receive priority for new seats under the Governor’s plan, and we applaud the $1.2 billion investment in CCAP the Governor announced this morning.
No universal child care system can succeed without stabilizing and strengthening the child-care workforce. The first three years of a child’s life shape lifelong development, and child care professionals provide vital developmental support during this critical period. Yet they earn less than 96% of workers in other New York occupations. Low wages and limited career advancement worsen longstanding racial and economic inequities: 94% of New York’s 69,000 child-care workers are women, and more than half, 58%, are women of color.
We are encouraged by the Governor’s proposal to expand scholarships and financial aid for aspiring early childhood educators, including by designating early childhood education as a high-demand occupation eligible for workforce Pell Grants and by supporting SUNY and CUNY in expanding existing early childhood programs. However, without increasing compensation, these important steps will not build a sustainable early childhood educator workforce. We look forward to working with the state and the city to investment in family-sustaining compensation for the child care workforce, and clearly defined career pathways across both home-based and center-based settings.
EdTrust-New York’s previous work with the Raising New York Coalition and the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) on the true cost of child care model confirms that a universal system requires long-term commitment, substantial and permanent funding, and policies that prioritize the needs of children, families, and the professionals who support them.
Finally, we are encouraged by the Governor’s plan to expand the child and dependent care tax credit and we urge the state to decouple any new tax incentives from the federal code so immigrant and mixed-status families can equitably access these critical supports.
The Governor’s announcement today is a monumental step forward for our state’s youngest children, their families, and early childhood professionals. EdTrust-New York looks forward to working with the Governor, the Mayor, the new Office of Child Care and Early Education, state leaders, parents, educators, and families to turn this commitment into reality and ensure that universal child care delivers on its promise for every child, every family, and every community across New York.
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About EdTrust-New York
EdTrust-New York is dedicated to eliminating equity and opportunity gaps that hinder students from reaching their full potential. We focus on ensuring that students of color, including Black, Latinx, Native American, and Asian American and Pacific Islander students, and those from low-income backgrounds achieve high levels of success from early childhood through college. For more information, visit EdTrustNY.org.