By Kalyn Grant

Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin

Feb. 4, 2026

Gov. Kathy Hochul made a visit to The B.C. Center at SUNY Broome Feb. 4 to visit the children enrolled in the program and to highlight Broome County’s unique position as one of three upstate counties selected for a pilot program boosting universal childcare.

The new state pilot partnership will help fill the childcare gap for young families, covering kids as young as infants up to the age of three. Broome County will receive $20 million from the state to “scale up” by expanding funding to existing facilities while continuing to find innovative ways to approach childcare.

Broome County was selected as one of the pilot locations because of the work actively being done to address childcare needs in the county, like at The B.C. Center. Located on the SUNY Broome campus, the center is a licensed childcare program that supports SUNY Broome students, including SUNY Reconnect students, SUNY Broome staff and members of the surrounding community.

“The B.C. Center serves as a unique example of how this innovative pilot program will not only support families of all income levels but also provide students with the peace of mind that their children are safe and well-cared for while they continue their education,” Gov. Hochul said.

The pilot partnership will act as a “community-wide network” to offer daycare year-round, beyond just the school year.

All three participating counties — Monroe and Dutchess are the others — will be monitored and studied to measure how the initiative is impacting the community and identify what needs have not been addressed.

The pilot partnerships are part of Hochul’s $4.5 billion investment to eventually install universal childcare for New Yorkers across the state.

For the residents of Broome County, the median income is estimated at $62,616 a year, according to the U.S. Census, which is on the “lower” end for annual income in the state — especially after factoring in the cost of childcare.

“The only reason you need childcare is so you can go to a job. So, the local businesses and the economy benefits when there are more people working,” Hochul said, encouraging local businesses in the Southern Tier to get creative in their approach to growth both economically and long term.

For example, a group of downtown businesses could get together to form some type of association that would then fund an on-site childcare facility for their workers, similar to how The B.C. Center operates.

‘Largest’ daycare facility in Broome County planned for Oakdale Commons

Broome County Executive Jason Garnar recalled a conversation he had with Hochul while they were brainstorming economic growth ideas a few years back.

“Whenever you talk about creating jobs, you need to think about daycare, childcare — you need to think about that,” Garnar recalled the governor telling him.

As part of the $20 million in funding, the “largest” daycare facility in Broome County is set to be built at Oakdale Commons, expanding access to 200 children in the Southern Tier. Half of those slots will strictly be reserved for children ranging from infants to 3 years old.

Construction crews have already begun work on the site, but according to Garnar, crews are planning to officially break ground sometime in March.

“Affordable, reliable child care is one of the biggest challenges facing working families, and this pilot partnership is a real step forward for parents balancing building their careers and raising their children,” Garnar said.

“This investment will further expand access to high-quality child care in Broome County, and we’re grateful for Governor Hochul’s continued commitment to supporting working families and investing in our kids’ future.”

Hochul anticipates that the funding will be managed and distributed by the county, possibly in the form of a Request for Proposals.

State of childcare access in Broome County

In 2025, Broome County had 9,700 children under the age of 5, according to the data collected by The Children’s Agenda organization.

The Children’s Agenda is an organization based in Rochester advocating for health, education and success of children through policies, research and activism.

The ratio for the number of children under the age of 5 versus the number of childcare spaces was 3.8 to 1.

Broome County’s population size in 2025 was 198,591, and the percentage of households where all adults are in the workforce was 67%. Families are spending roughly $14,244 annually on day care services in Broome County.

“We know how challenging the cost of child care is to most families, impacting their economic security and future plans,” Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo said. “I am thrilled that Broome County was chosen to host one of the state’s child care pilot programs and that planning is underway to achieve universal Pre-K for four-year-olds by 2028. This is a high priority as we negotiate the state budget along with ensuring child care professionals are paid wages commensurate with this important responsibility.”

Original story here: https://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/local/2026/02/04/hochul-visits-as-broome-county-builds-daycare-for-200-children-at-oakdale-commons/88506536007/