New York
Working families in New York need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in New York. But too many working families in New York are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the New York economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
There are 1.3M children ages 5 and under in New York – 65% of these children have all available parents in the workforce.
The typical annual cost of child care for an infant in New York is around $19,000.
The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 10% of eligible families. This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care.
On average, child care providers in New York earn just $35,980 a year; this can make it a challenge to recruit and retain this workforce, leading to supply issues.
New York’s economy loses $9.8B annually due to child care challenges
New York: In The Headlines
Long Island parents pay an average of $24,000 for child care.
Newsday | September 29, 2025
Parents on Long Island, regardless of income levels, often find covering the cost of child care difficult, and few options to help with the costs, local experts said.
OP-ED: Child Care Crisis in Allegany County as funding for families runs dry
Wellsville Sun | aUGUST 26, 2025
“As a working parent and teacher in Allegany County, I’m alarmed by the deepening child care crisis in our region.”
New York parents face steep child care costs, economic impact revealed
CBS 6 Albany | September 12, 2025
A new fact sheet highlights the financial strain of child care on New York families, revealing that the average annual cost for center-based infant care exceeds $20,000, while home-based care costs more than $16,000.
New York Resources & News
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