Overview
New York is presented with an unprecedented opportunity to achieve universal child care. In January 2025—and many times since—Governor Hochul has committed to achieving universal child care statewide, and her own Child Care Availability Task Force (CCATF) released a Roadmap for Universal Child Care. Among State legislators, there is strong support for investment in child care, and for achieving a universal system.
In New York City, Mayor-elect Mamdani has made universal child care a cornerstone of his affordability agenda, and a top priority of his first term. He and Governor Hochul have committed to working together to achieve this shared goal—in New York City, and around the state.
The Empire State Campaign for Child Care is a statewide coalition of parents, child care educators, and advocates who have been working together since 2017 to ensure that every family in New York State has access to free, high quality child care, and that every child care educator earns a thriving wage.
Our campaign’s plan for statewide universal child care is guided by the CCATF’s Roadmap for Universal Child Care, but goes further than its high-level set of goals—setting forth a concrete rollout plan.
To view and download the full report, click here.
To view the executive summary, click here.
A special thanks to Pete Nabozny, Policy Director for The Children’s Agenda and co-chair of the Empire State Campaign for Child Care Legislative Workgroup, for being the lead author on this plan, and to the many members of the Campaign who provided input, data and feedback on this report, including the Center for NYC Affairs, and the members of the ESCCC Steering Committee – Adirondack Birth to Three Alliance, Alliance for Quality Education (AQE), Citizen Action of New York, Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, Day Care Council of New York (DCCNY), ECE on the Move, Marks of Excellence, MomsRising, New York Association for the Education of Young Children (NYAEYC), New York State Network for Youth Success (NYSNYS), PowHer New York, Prevent Child Abuse New York (PCANY), Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, The Children’s Agenda (TCA), The Innovative Daycare Corp, Western New York Child Care Action Team (WNYCCAT) and WHEDco.
Thank you to the many funders and supporters of the Empire State Campaign for Child Care, including Child Care NEXT, New York Community Trust, Robin Hood, Child Care for Every Family Network, and Raising Child Care Fund. And finally, none of this would be possible without the tireless efforts of the thousands of child care educators, parents, grandparents who advocate every day – making phone calls, sending emails, meeting with lawmakers, attending advocacy days and budget hearings, press conferences and rallies – to secure access to high quality child care for all New York families, and a thriving wage for the child care workforce.