With the Governor's budget book in hand and the Legislature in session, our team is focused on building support for historic progress this year.

We were delighted to join Governor Kathy Hochul at the Eastside YMCA in Penfield on January 23rd in support of her bold proposals for investments in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), correcting the Pre-K funding formula, and piloting a model of universal child care in three counties, including right here in Monroe County. 

County Executive Adam Bello, Mayor Malik Evans, State Senator Jeremy Cooney, and Assemblymember Jen Lunsford spoke about the significance of these investments - for children, families, businesses, and our economy. Nearly 10,000 children in Monroe County will gain access to safe, quality care.

TCA organized a bus of parents and children from Rochester to head to join 400+ advocates statewide as part of the Empire State Campaign for Child Care’s advocacy day in Albany on January 27th.

Very Invested Parents (VIPs) Chrissy Miller and Tianna Johnson joined TCA’s Community and Parent Advocacy Coordinator Isabel Rosa in speaking at the rally. 

Through planned meetings, hallway visits, and a rally in the Well, advocates pushed for state legislators to commit to the transformative investments that New York’s children and families need. We appreciate the commitment of our regional Assemblymembers Sarah Clark, Josh Jensen, Demond Meeks, Jen Lunsford, and Harry Bronson, and State Senators Samra Brouk and Jeremy Cooney in support of the Governor's proposal to invest an additional $1.2 billion in the Child Care Assistance Program, which will ensure that nearly 200,000 children statewide will have access to safe quality care.

Not contained in the Governor's proposal but very much up for discussion: the need for a $1.2 billion investment in a permanent child care workforce compensation fund. Low compensation rates lead to increased turnover which restricts the number of child care slots available to parents who work or pursue education. We encourage lawmakers to find a way to include workforce compensation in the 2026-27 budget.

Furthermore, truly universal child care supports all children, including those with disabilities, and New York's children and families deserve inclusive early childhood education. To increase access for children with disabilities, the State needs to double its reimbursement rate to providers who care for children with special needs, and they need to publicize that rate differential to promote uptake.

We were honored to host U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Assemblywoman Sarah Clark on January 16th to demand that the Trump administration end the funding freeze that threatens families in New York and in 4 other Democratic-led states. Our Very Invested Parents (VIPs) showed up, and Jhalysa Johnson spoke about the importance of child care support for her family and for all families. 

Read recent news coverage of TCA's child care efforts here:

The Governor's budget provides $561 million (52.5% increase) for additional support to ensure universal full-day Pre-K for all four-year-olds by the start of SFY 2029. This increases school districts' per-pupil funding for four-year-olds to the higher of $10,000 or their current selected Foundation Aid per pupil.

The budget also contains a $779 million (3.0%) increase to fully fund Foundation Aid, ensuring a 1% annual increase for school districts.

These reforms to the Pre-K funding formula match what The Children’s Agenda called for in the report we released with our partners at the Alliance for Quality Education in November. We encourage lawmakers to support these essential investments in education and ensure that districts offering three-year-old Pre-K receive the same funding increase.

Until the Early Intervention system is reformed, we will continue to advocate for the thousands of infants, toddlers and preschoolers with developmental delays and disabilities to get the therapies and services that they are legally entitled to receive.

Come with us to Albany and speak with decision makers about Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education. Share your story, make new connections, and experience an action-packed day of legislative advocacy at our New York State Capitol!

Register today for our advocacy trip to Albany on February 10th! 

Then, sign up for one of our online training sessions to connect with advocates and get ready for the day. The same content will be presented at each session, so choose the date/time that work best for you!

February 4th at 1:00 pm

February 5th at 6:30 pm

With the expanded Empire State Child Credit available this year, we encourage families to take advantage of this benefit. CASH is offering annual free income tax preparation services at the Central Library by appointment only.

Interested families can schedule appointments at this link or by calling and leaving a message at 585-900-1004.

Over the past two months, our VIPs have been working diligently to identify and define their top three budget priorities for the Rochester City School District. Parents participated in thoughtful discussions, shared their lived experiences, and brainstormed a wide range of ideas centered on improving student outcomes and overall school well-being. Through a collective and democratic voting process, the group selected this year’s top three priorities: Mental Health, School Climate, and Healthier Meals.

These priorities reflect the concerns parents see daily in their children’s schools and the areas they believe will have the greatest impact on student success. VIP parents  and TCA's Parent Leadership Manager Carmen Torres plan to meet with members of the Board of Education and the Superintendent to advocate for these priorities and ensure parent voices are meaningfully included in upcoming budget decisions.

Big wins don’t happen by accident – they happen because people like you invest in change. Become a Change Maker for Children with a monthly gift to fuel our advocacy and build on victories like Universal Child Care and Pre-K. Reliable support means we can respond fast, organize parents, and keep pushing policy forward. Even $10/month helps keep the momentum going – until every child and family can thrive. Join today and make change happen.