New Child Care Plan in New York

Governor Cathy Hochul revealed a substantial plan on Thursday aimed at providing what she calls “free” child care for all 2-year-olds in New York City, alongside expanding preschool and early childhood care programs throughout the state. And, on a positive note, there won’t be a tax increase this year.

New York City already boasts a universal program for preschool and 3K, and Hochul expressed her intention to work with the new Mayor Zoran Mamdani to extend this program to include toddlers as young as 2.

Her commitment involves fully funding the initial two years of the city’s “2 Cares” initiative.

Mayor Mamdani had made universal child care a key element of his successful campaign, with his vision including all children over six weeks of age eventually.

According to Hochul, the program’s first year will target high-need areas selected by the city, and she anticipates it expanding to include all interested families by the fourth year. There’s something to consider there, I suppose.

The governor has also planned to assist in “fixing” the city’s 3K program to ensure it meets the promised universal access.

Funding for this “2-Care” initiative will be included in the state budget, derived from existing revenue sources. She emphasized that no new taxes or revenue measures would be necessary this year.

This is significant especially with Democrats gearing up for re-election this fall, as tax increases could be a contentious issue. Hochul faces Republican opponent Bruce Blakeman, and tax hikes could be a potential liability.

Meanwhile, Democratic Socialist Mamdani proposes a massive $9 billion tax increase on billionaires and large corporations to finance the “free” universal child care plan. But, well, getting Albany’s approval for that is crucial.

Experts estimate that introducing universal child care across all 62 counties in the state could cost up to $15 billion. Hochul, portraying herself as the “first mom governor,” remarked, “Child care is too expensive,” a sentiment many families likely share.

She expressed pride in collaborating with Mayor Mamdani and other state leaders to make this initiative a reality, aiming to transform the lives of working parents and their children.

The two seem to be aligned in their goals for now. Mamdani noted that a movement has emerged in the past 14 months aimed at creating a city where every New Yorker can lead a dignified life and afford to raise a family. He described their joint commitment as a response to that movement.

Hochul also intends to broaden preschool and early childhood programs in other areas of the state.

While four-year-olds in the city have had access to preschool, numerous school districts still lack such services.

Hochul’s funding plan aims to ensure that every 4-year-old in the state has access to preschool by the 2028-2029 school year, with a pledge of $500 million to enhance funding and expand preschool availability.

Additional Proposals from Hochul

• The governor is increasing spending by $1.2 billion to boost access to child care programs, raising total grants available to parents to over $3 billion. Most low-income families typically end up paying less than $15 a week for care, which seems quite manageable.
• She aims to support the establishment and growth of child care programs in communities outside the city, regardless of families’ income levels.
• A new Office of Child Care and Early Education will be created to oversee the implementation of universal preschool, three-year kindergarten, and two-year kindergarten. This includes supporting the development of the child care workforce.
• Hochul plans to enhance training and educational resources for child care workers through scholarships and grants, including opportunities at the City University of New York and the State University of New York.
• Lastly, she proposes expanding the child and dependent care tax credit, potentially offering an average increase of $575 in benefits to around 230,000 taxpayers.