Berkeley Brean, News10NBC
November 24, 2025

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A local nonprofit has a new plan aiming to make child care universal and affordable. The Children’s Agenda, based in Rochester, has proposed a roadmap that includes two major funding bridges, each worth $75 million.

The logistics

The first bridge ensures that in towns or cities where eight out of 10 children are eligible for child care assistance, every child becomes eligible. This requires families to fill out a single form to prove their address. Rochester is included in the initiative.

The second bridge caps out-of-pocket child care costs at $100 a week for families in areas that don’t qualify for universal assistance. The state would cover the remaining costs. This is being tested in three to four communities.

“If every single slot was filled we could serve about 28% of our children who qualify based on age,” said Pete Nabozny, director of policy at The Children’s Agenda during a press conference on Monday.

New York’s child care assistance program has enrolled an additional 100,000 children in recent years, but funding has been depleted. Nearly half of New York counties have run out of funds for child care assistance, with 10 counties, including Wayne, lacking even a waiting list.

“Parents are getting the notices that says you qualify. We’re out of funds,” one woman said during the conference.

Monroe County still has sufficient funds, but the proposed steps aim to build bridges toward universal child care.

“There is census data that suggests families are paying about $17 billion collectively out of pocket across New York State. So it’s a significant sum,” Nabozny said.

Here’s an example from Westchester County. Let’s say a family with one child makes under $97,000 a year and pays $684 annually for child care with assistance. If their income exceeds $97,000, they lose that assistance and pay $23,000 per year instead.

One mother’s reality

Amber Miller, a mother of two in Orleans County, learned in September that her child care assistance could end.

“I would go from paying $4 a week for daycare to $500 a week for daycare,” Miller said.

This would leave her with $200 for the rest of the month.

Since speaking with Miller, Berk found that her assistance is set to end in January. Miller said she might have to move to South Carolina, where she has family. With that, comes emotions she tries her best to shield her kids from.

“They’ve seen me a couple of times break down and crying and stuff and ask me what’s wrong. ‘Mommy, are you okay?’” Miller said.

“I’m struggling. Daily,” Miller added.

Officials estimate it’ll take about six years to establish a system where every family in New York can access free child care.

Original story here: https://www.whec.com/top-news/local-nonprofit-proposes-150-million-plan-for-universal-affordable-child-care-in-new-york/