Governor Hochul Announces the Expansion of Child Care Services at SUNY Community Colleges

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the expansion of child care services at 11 SUNY community colleges to include evenings and weekends to better align with the schedules of student parents enrolled in high-demand programs, including SUNY Reconnect courses, or to create additional spots for infants and toddlers. The announcement quickly follows the successful extension of programs at Dutchess Community College and Monroe Community College, which generated a strong immediate reaction from campuses across the state.

"We are investing in the futures of our adult learners and student parents to ensure they can pursue and achieve their dreams," Governor Hochul said. "Through the expansion of child care across SUNY's community college campuses, the SUNY Reconnect program and dedicated support initiatives, we are reinforcing our commitment to meeting the needs of adult learners and offering them a path to upward mobility."

The expansion of child care hours at the community colleges or their community partners will support adult learners enrolled in Governor Hochul's SUNY Reconnect initiative, which provides free tuition, fees, books and supplies for adults ages 25-55 who don't already have a college degree and want to pursue an associate degree in a high-demand field. The program also builds on Governor Hochul's State of the State priority to continue to deliver accessible, reliable child care options to families across New York State.

Five SUNY community college campuses will be expanding their child care services, some in partnership with local community child care providers, to include nights and weekends, including:

• SUNY Broome Community College will be creating additional care hours during the evening.
• Dutchess Community College will add two additional weeknights of evening hours, as well as expand slots for infants and toddlers.
• Finger Lakes Community College will extend its evening hours up to 9 p.m. two days a week.
• Monroe Community College will add 16 additional hours during evenings, and the campus will create additional slots for infants and toddlers.
• Onondaga Community College plans to partner with the YMCA to provide evening child care spots for adult learners enrolled through SUNY Reconnect.

Six SUNY community college campuses are creating additional spots for infants and toddlers, including:

• Jamestown Community College
• Nassau Community College
• SUNY Niagara Community College
• Rockland Community College
• Tompkins Cortland Community College
• SUNY Westchester Community College

The program to extend child care services to 11 SUNY community colleges builds on Governor Hochul's efforts to increase access to high-quality child care, especially for SUNY adult learners. Recently, SUNY announced the expansion of child care services at Dutchess Community College and Monroe Community College, with both colleges extending their child care services to include evenings to align with the schedules of high-demand programs.

In 2022, Governor Hochul announced $10.8 million in funding to address child care deserts across SUNY campuses, fund improvements, and expand capacity. As part of the $10.8 million investment, SUNY announced in 2024 the opening of a child care center at Jamestown Community College, which offered nearly 50 spots during the school year and 100 throughout the summer months for students' children. In 2023, Governor Hochul also announced the availability of 200 spots at 12 high-demand SUNY campus child care centers, made possible through $1.72 million in funding for improvements to child care at SUNY.  

Today's announcement comes as Governor Hochul lays out her unprecedented investment in affordable, universal child care for children under five years of age across New York State, which also includes:

• Achieving Truly Universal Pre-K: While four-year-olds in some parts of New York have long had access to Pre-K, there are dozens of school districts that have not yet been able to make it available. Governor Hochul is providing additional support to ensure truly universal Pre-K for all four-year-olds in the State by the start of the 2028-2029 school year.
• Continuing Access to Low-Cost, Affordable Child Care Assistance Programs: Under Governor Hochul's leadership, New York has more than doubled investment in the state's Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which provides subsidies to help low-income families access child care. This year, Governor Hochul will continue to grow the State's investment in child care subsidies for those that need it most with a $1.2 billion increased investment, bringing the total available for subsidies to over $3 billion. This is more than 3.5 times more than the $832 million provided prior to the Governor taking office, and a nearly 40 percent increase from what was made available in the FY 2026 Enacted Budget.
• Launch of New Innovative Pilot Programs with Counties Statewide: In 2026, Governor Hochul launched a new State pilot program partnering with Dutchess County, Monroe County and Broome County to help counties offer additional child care options in their communities. This pilot program includes a total of $60 million in State funding in addition to new investments from each of the three counties. These investments will help these counties to expand child care access, particularly focusing on serving 0-3-year-old children through year-round, full-day care for thousands of families across these communities, regardless of income.
• Office of Child Care and Early Education: A new Office of Child Care and Early Education will drive the implementation of high-quality, universal child care in New York State. The Office will oversee and support roll out of universal Pre-K, continued investment in 3K, launch of 2-Care and other innovative care options, expansion and improvement of vouchers, and ongoing support for the workforce.

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, "Student parents should be able to focus on their studies without having to worry about finding safe and affordable child care. The expansion of the child care programs across SUNY's community colleges will work to remove barriers, so all of our students can receive the support they need to pursue the education of their dreams. Thank you to Governor Hochul for her leadership, support and investment in this initiative."

The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "With the steadfast support of Governor Kathy Hochul, we are providing our adult learners and student parents the support they need to receive a high-quality education, making high-demand careers increasingly accessible. The expansion of child care and support services will help open the door to life-changing opportunities for our students and their families."

NYS Assemblywoman Alicia L. Hyndman said, "Higher education is the most powerful engine for economic mobility we have, but for too many student-parents, the lack of accessible childcare has been a persistent and unjust barrier to the finish line. By expanding childcare services to include evenings and weekends, we are finally aligning our state's resources with the modern reality of our scholars' lives. This investment doesn't just fund childcare; it fortifies the foundation of the family unit and ensures that a parent's pursuit of a degree - especially through the SUNY Reconnect initiative-is met with the structural support necessary for a successful trajectory."

New America Senior Policy Manager, Higher Education Policy, Stephanie Baker said, "Child care is an essential need for the 1 in 5 students who are parents across the country. This commitment from the State of New York and the SUNY system is a model for how states can invest in student parent families. We all benefit from a stronger higher education system and a stronger economy when we support student parents' access to opportunity."

Contact the Governor's Press Office