Hochul outlines universal child care plan for New York state
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul outlined her proposal for universal child care in the state on Thursday, days after delivering a state of the state address that focused heavily on affordability.
The governor, who yesterday rebuked President Trump's threat to cut federal funding to sanctuary cities and states, spoke at York College in Jamaica, Queens, where she announced by 2028, "the entire state of New York will be offering, for every parent of a 4-year-old, the availability of a 4-K program, either in their schools or in partnership with local providers."
Hochul said pilot programs offering child care for newborns and children up to 3 will begin in Dutchess, Monroe and Broome counties this year.
"We're talking about a major investment of $4.5 billion," Hochul said.
The governor said the push for universal child care reflects a shift in society.
"When I was starting out, the thought was this is you and your family's problem. You wanted to have a family, you figure it out. Society didn't seem to care, and certainly businesses didn't think it was their problem. This is one area where I've seen a dramatic shift. Businesses know that they can be more competitive when they can open up their opportunities to everyone who wants to work, including a lot of the women who end up being the primary caregivers," Hochul said.
In her speech Tuesday, Hochul said she would commit $1.7 billion in the next budget to expand child care, with the goal of funding it for children up to 3 years old across the state before rolling out universal pre-K for 4-year-olds by 2028.
Last week, Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced free child care for 2-year-olds in the five boroughs, as well as greater access for 3-year-olds.
"There's one thing that every family in New York can agree on, the cost of child care is simply too high," Hochul said at the time, adding, "This is the day that everything changes."
New York City's pre-K and 3-K applications opened this week.
Mamdani, who made a major campaign promise to provide universal child care, marked the occasion by visiting a child care center in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, where he spent time with students and teachers.
"The benefits of a young child in 3-K or pre-K are fast and far-reaching. A good early childhood education lays the foundation for better outcomes later in life. Signing your child up over the next few weeks could have enormous, positive ripple effects decades down the line," the mayor said.
The final day for parents to enroll their kids is Feb. 27.