NEW YORK — Governor Kathy Hochul on Wednesday outlined a plan to make New York’s child care system fairer, more affordable and more accessible as part of her 2023 statewide address.
The proposals include plans to simplify and centralize the child care application process, expand access to the system, and provide assistance to families, workers, and businesses to support New York’s child care infrastructure.
“I want to focus attention on something that will have a generational impact, which is how we take care of our children today, how we allow families, and moms in particular, to go back to their jobs when they want to work, or have to,” Hochul said. . “So, we’re going to talk about how we can help working families and parents by really revamping our state’s child care system.”
The new plan presented by Hochul aims to help all types of families, including recently arrived immigrant families.
The proposal to streamline the child care application process includes:
- Facilitate the access of eligible families to financial assistance for child care.
- Provide support to the child care workforce.
- Involve the business community to increase care centers and reduce costs for families.
Families already participating in one of the following programs are also eligible for the Child Care Assistance Program:
- Food Stamps (SNAP)
- home energy assistance
- Medicaid
- Special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children
According to the governor’s office, New York State is ranked number six in the nation for the most expensive child care. It can take up to 22 percent of someone’s income. And the cost for older children is also high.
The state will work to simplify the application so families across New York can easily access assistance programs.
“I don’t assume easy fights, someone else can do it,” Hochul said. “I am here to face the difficult, but the necessary ones, and we will face this moment. Focusing on our children is a great start, making this place a place where not only their parents can live and thrive, but be a home, a job and an education for them as they get older too.
