Advisory Roles
2021:
2022:
Child Care Availability Taskforce reconstituted with additional grassroots membership and bold mandate to develop a framework for rolling out universal child care
2024:
“Making Child Care More Affordable, Accessible and Equitable for New Yorkers” report released with updated recommendations to make child care more affordable and accessible to more New York families, which includes an urgent call for sustained investment in the child care workforce and a commitment to focusing creating a framework for a phased-in rollout of universal child care
Child Care Work Force Compensation
2024 and 2025:
(Actively advocating) Create a permanent Child Care Fund to increase child care worker compensation
This fund should be sufficient to offer all child care workers who work in licensed, regulated programs compensation parity with similar positions in the public school system
2024 and 2025:
(Actively advocating) Establish automatic rate increase to child care providers, even when that rate exceeds their private tuition price
Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Eligibility Expansion
2021:
Eligibility increased to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) + 12 months of eligibility ($55,500 for a family of four)
2022:
Eligibility increased to 300% FPL + up to 24 month of eligibility option for counties
2022:
Promise NYC fund created for immigrant children in NYC excluded from child care assistance due to immigration status
2023:
Eligibility increased to 85% State Median Income (SMI) ($108,631 for a family of four)
2023:
Small statewide pilot program created to provide child care assistance to children ineligible for CCAP due to immigration status or their parents engage in episodic work
There was a small expansion to program in 2024 and maintained at level funding in 2025
2024:
Supported legislation that would end New York’s rule of tying child care assistance to parents’ exact hours of work
This “decoupling” bill passed the NYS Legislature but was vetoed by Governor Hochul
2024:
Supported legislation that would end New York’s rule denying child care assistance to parents/caretakers who earn too little (less than the minimum wage)
This bill also passed the NYS Legislature but was vetoed by Governor Hochul
2024:
State General Fund investment in CCAP more than doubled from 2023 as federal pandemic funds phase out, with the FY 2025 state fund appropriation $997.14 million, compared to a FY 2024 general fund appropriation of $459 million for an increase of more than $538 million
2025:
Governor Hochul committed to achieving universal child care in New York in her 2025 State of the State address, which received a standing ovation from New York State legislators
2025:
The number of children receiving child care assistance increased by about 35%, from January 2024 (111,395 children) to January 2025 (150,749 children)
2025:
State General Fund investment in CCAP has nearly tripled since 2020, with a FY 2026 state fund appropriation of $1.41 billion – a increase of $413.57 million compared to FY 2025’s general fund investment
New York’s total investment in child care in FY 2026, including state and federal funds, is $2.2 billion
Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Copay Reduction
2021:
Copay capped at no more than 10% of income above FPL (10% of income over $27,750 for a family of four)
2023:
Copay capped at no more than 1% of income above FPL (1% of income over $30,000 for a family of four)
Market Rate Increase for Child Care Programs
2022:
Market rate increased to 80th percentile of the 2021 market rate
Simplified attestation process created for child care providers that do not serve private pay families to receive new market rate
System Improvement and Modernization
2022:
Subsidy reimbursement checks for providers made available via direct deposit
This was set to be implemented in summer 2024
2023:
Families receiving government supports (SNAP, WIC, etc.) deemed automatically eligible for child care assistance based on income
2023:
Families able to apply for child care assistance online
This was set to be implemented summer 2024
2024:
Supported legislation to implement statewide presumptive eligibility, which would allow New York families to be enrolled in CCAP after making an initial showing of eligibility while the full application is being processed
The bill passed the NYS Legislature and was amended by Governor Hochul
Unfortunately, the bill amendment meant that counties were not required to utilize the presumptive eligibility standard to provide child care and instead were given the option to – despite an enacted federal rule that clarified federal funds could be used to cover the presumptive eligibility period
Campaign Milestones
2017:
The Empire State Campaign for Child Care (ESCCC) was founded in the wake of threats to cut the New York State child care subsidy program
Parents, providers, advocates, and legislators from across the state came together to advocate for a thriving, abundant, and robustly funded child care system
2023:
The campaign, in partnership with the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, spearheaded its first child care workforce shortage survey
This survey garnered over 1,600 responses from child care providers across the state
2023:
Shoshana Hershkowitz hired as the campaign’s first Campaign Manager
2024:
The campaign’s website is rebranded and accessible in over 100 languages, with the primary languages being English and Spanish
2024:
The campaign begins sending out monthly newsletters to over 3,000 parents, providers, advocates, and policymakers
2025:
The campaign, in partnership with the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy and The Children’s Agenda, authored a second child care workforce shortage survey, collecting data and testimony from over 1,200 providers across 61 counties
2025:
ESCCC partnered with Avoq to run a paid media campaign, which included included multiple op-eds, digital ads, earned media coverage, and virtual media training opportunities for parents and providers