Fighting for Your Future: Governor Hochul Highlights Child Care Expansion Pilot Partnership with Broome County as Part of Statewide Investments in Universal Child Care

Governor Kathy Hochul today visited a child care center at the B.C. Center to highlight the State's proposal to partner with Broome County, Dutchess County and Monroe County in a new state pilot program to support counties expanding child care access in their communities for children aged zero to three. This is all part of the Governor's $4.5 billion investment to deliver statewide universal child care and make New York State the best and most affordable place to raise a family. This pilot program includes an investment of $60 million in State funding, along with new investments from each of the three counties. The Governor also met with students currently enrolled in SUNY's Reconnect Program at SUNY Broome whose children are enrolled in the childcare program on campus.

"Making New York the best place to raise a family begins with fulfilling my promise to deliver universal child care for all New Yorkers," Governor Hochul said. "The B.C. Center serves as a unique example of how this innovative pilot program will not only support families of all income levels but also provide students with the peace of mind that their children are safe and well-cared for while they continue their education."

Broome County Executive Jason T. Garnar said, "Affordable, reliable child care is one of the biggest challenges facing working families, and this pilot partnership is a real step forward for parents balancing building their careers and raising their children. This investment will further expand access to high-quality child care in Broome County, and we're grateful for Governor Hochul's continued commitment to supporting working families and investing in our kids' future."

The B.C. Center
The B.C. Center, located on the SUNY Broome campus, is a licensed child care program to support SUNY Broome students, including SUNY Reconnect students, SUNY Broome staff and members of the surrounding community.

The B.C. Center provides a warm, safe, and stimulating early learning environment. The program is set up so children can actively learn through high quality play experiences and hands-on activities. In order to provide the best care possible, they strive to form positive partnerships with each child's family, and encourage frequent home-school communication.

SUNY Reconnect Program
SUNY Reconnect is SUNY's free community college program for New York adults. Through the New York State Opportunity Promise scholarship, SUNY Reconnect provides free associate degrees in high-demand fields for New Yorkers 25 to 55 with no college degree. The program aims to help connect New Yorkers with good-paying jobs while boosting economic growth in key industries across New York State. The program covers the costs of tuition, fees, books and supplies.

Governor Hochul is making unprecedented investments to help deliver universal child care for all under the age of five across New York State that will save New York families billions of dollars each year. This partnership with Monroe County, Dutchess County and Broome County is one of many investments to support counties in implementing additional child care options in their communities. Governor Hochul's statewide universal child care commitment 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.

The State will not only fund additional seats to achieve universality but will also increase funding for existing seats, bringing them up to the greater of $10,000 or the applicable school district's current selected foundation aid per pupil, so that districts have what they need to provide high-quality Pre-K. This combination reflects a commitment of roughly a half-billion dollars and will ensure that every child in New York State enters kindergarten ready to learn.

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. By dramatically increasing the State's investments in the program while expanding eligibility, the program now supports 2.5 times more children - an additional 100,000 - than when Governor Hochul took office; the number of children served has increased by almost 25 percent in the past year alone. Most of the families of the 170,000 children served by the program pay no more than $15 per week for 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 over 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.

Launching 2-Care and Reaching Universal 3K Access in NYC
New York City has already launched universal Pre-K and 3K, and Governor Hochul will partner with New York City to age this program down and launch an unprecedented initiative to offer entirely free child care for two-year-olds within New York City.

The Governor is committing to fully fund the first two years of the city's implementation. As envisioned by the new mayoral administration, the first year of the program will focus on high-need areas selected by New York City and expand to serve all interested families across the city by year 4. In addition, the Governor will partner with New York City to strengthen and fix the city's 3K program and ensure it achieves its promise of universal access.

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 rollout 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.

Supporting the Workforce Through Early Childhood Educator Preparation
Governor Hochul's plan to strengthen New York's early childhood education workforce includes expanding existing workforce scholarships, seeking opportunities for new Workforce Pell grants, and directing SUNY and CUNY to take a number of steps to expand and streamline early childhood education programs.

SUNY Chancellor John King Jr. said, "SUNY is proud to support Governor Hochul's affordability agenda - from ensuring access to quality childcare for New York families to the affordable excellence of a SUNY college degree. Opportunities for adult learners at community colleges, including the Governor's successful SUNY Reconnect program, are changing lives, empowering New Yorkers, and setting our state up for long term economic growth. Ensuring that adult learners have the support needed to focus on their classes, especially childcare opportunities, is a key necessity, and we are proud to work with Governor Hochul to expand childcare services throughout New York State."

SUNY Board of Trustees said, "We are proud to support Governor Hochul's efforts to expand childcare opportunities for New York families, and applaud her leadership on this critical issue. SUNY students deserve an affordable, high-quality public education and the support necessary to thrive in their courses. We thank Governor Hochul for visiting SUNY Broome to help highlight these efforts, and look forward to continuing our partnership to increase childcare opportunities throughout New York State."

State Senator Lea Webb said, "Childcare is essential infrastructure for New York's workforce and economy. This is a major step forward for families in Broome County who have long struggled to find affordable, reliable childcare, especially for our youngest children. I thank the Governor for including Broome County in this pilot program."

Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo said, "We know how challenging the cost of child care is to most families, impacting their economic security and future plans. I am thrilled that Broome County was chosen to host one of the state's child care pilot programs and that planning is underway to achieve universal Pre-K for four-year-olds by 2028. This is a high priority as we negotiate the state budget along with ensuring child care professionals are paid wages commensurate with this important responsibility. Thank you to the Governor for advancing this important initiative."

Expanding the Child and Dependent Care Credit to Better Support Families
Governor Hochul will expand and simplify the child and dependent care tax credit to provide an additional average benefit of $575 for 230,000 tax filers. The Governor will also undertake a thorough review of existing tax incentives for employers with the goal of helping them better serve the child care needs of their employees.

Today's announcement builds on steps that Governor Hochul has taken to expand access to affordable child care for families, laying the groundwork for the implementation of universal child care statewide. Specifically, the State has already:

• More than doubled the number of children served by child care subsidies in just four years, with an almost 25 percent increase in the past 12 months alone.
• Provided more than $8.6 billion for child care, including more than doubling funding for subsidies.
• Dramatically expanded the number of families who are eligible by increasing the maximum income from 200 percent of Federal poverty level (roughly $64,000 for a family of four) to the maximum allowed under Federal law - 85 percent of Statewide median income (roughly $114,000 for a family of four).
• Made child care more affordable by reducing the amount those receiving subsidies pay by capping costs at $15 per week for most families.
• Increased reimbursement rates for providers by nearly 50 percent, helping providers retain staff and provide quality care for children across the state.
• Supported the future creation of thousands of child care seats and new centers through more than $150M in capital funding.

Contact the Governor's Press Office