We are now in a second budget extension, with leaders again moving past the deadline instead of reaching a final agreement. Decisions are still being made about what will be included in the enacted budget, and our leaders need to hear directly from us before anything is finalized.
Nearly 20,000 children remain on child care waitlists statewide, including 17,000 in New York City. Programs are struggling to stay open and families are left without reliable options. Raising revenue by taxing the ultra wealthy remains on the table, and it is what would make meaningful investment in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and the workforce possible in this year’s budget.
From 2022 (center) to just last week (left), families, providers, and advocates have continued showing up across the state, from Speaker Heastie’s office to Governor Hochul’s NYC office (right), making clear that the need for real investment in child care has only grown more urgent.
Each of the one house budgets put forward different pieces of what families need. The Senate included $500 million for the workforce. The Assembly moved to expand access to CCAP by removing the minimum earnings requirement. The Governor’s proposal did not include either of these steps. New Yorkers have been showing up across the state to push for both to be included in the final agreement, including recent rallies (see above) outside Governor Hochul’s New York City office and Speaker Heastie’s office in the Bronx.