Child care is a critical need for families in every community. In past years, New York State improved the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) by expanding eligibility and removing barriers for families to access subsidized care. Enrollment soared across the state. However, Governor Hochul, the Senate, and the Assembly have not allocated sufficient funding in their respective 2025-26 budget proposals to meet the growing demand for child care assistance. Without additional funding in this year’s budget, families across the state will lose access to the child care they depend on.

While this is late in the state’s budget process, the Governor and legislature still have an opportunity to address this funding crisis before its consequences are felt by families in every corner of the state. Specifically, the final budget agreement should include at least $500 million for additional CCAP allocations in the 2025-26 budget to begin to fill the funding gap. State leaders should also direct the proposed New York Coalition for Child Care to identify and recommend a sustained funding stream to keep up with the growing need moving forward.