ALBANY, N.Y. (January 13, 2026) — In response to Governor Hochul’s State of the State address on Tuesday, the public education advocacy organization Alliance for Quality Education released the following statement:
“The investments that Governor Hochul has proposed for child care and pre-K are welcome and meaningful, but without investment to raise wages for the child care workforce, families, children and early educators will never see the full impact and benefit. The Governor is proposing steps that will likely resolve wait lists, and open pre–K programs to more children, but New York State must also make a commitment to increasing wages for child care educators and providers,” said Marina Marcou-O’Malley and Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari, Co-Executive Directors, Alliance for Quality Education.
“The proposed investments in child care and pre-K were a direct result of the tireless advocacy of families, providers, and organizers across this state. We will continue to push until child care workers are paid a thriving wage, and free child care is a reality for every family in New York. We won’t rest until these proposals become law and until the child care workforce is treated with dignity and respect.
“We should be using every tool available to build a child care system that pays educators a thriving wage so it is sustainable, and accessible to all families. New Yorkers overwhelmingly support taxing the ultrawealthy. We are happy that the Governor agrees that the goal is to get to universal child care, but we need leadership that is listening to the people, and that will do what is necessary, starting with taxing the ultra wealthy to invest in the care infrastructure New York families depend on.
“As the federal government ramps up its attacks on working families and social supports, New York must step up. Now is the moment for the Legislature to refuse to settle for half-measures. Shaking out the couch cushions and making do with spare change is not a serious response to a crisis this deep.”
Foundation Aid & School Aid
“Even though the Governor did not address any education issues other than math in her State of the State address, we still expect that Foundation Aid will be fully funded, as well as updated to ensure that students have all the resources they need to succeed in school.”