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.
Addressing the North Country childcare shortage
WWNY | jANUARY 22, 2026
St. Lawrence County ranked the lowest in the tri-county region when it comes to the availability of childcare, according to a Jefferson Community College survey.
Some N.Y. families face challenges finding child care options
Spectrum News 1 | January 29, 2026
Among the challenges facing child care around New York state is the lack of providers available in certain communities.
New York Resources & News
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FFYF Briefing Room: Safeguarding Access to Affordable Child Care
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First Introduced: July 2024 Reintroduced: March 2025. Parents want to make child care choices that best support their family’s individual needs and their child’s development. This is especially true for …
Total Federal TANF & State MOE Expenditures for Child Care and Early Learning
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10 States and DC Receive New Round of PDG B-5 Grants
In September, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announced the latest round of Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) grantees. Ten states and Washington, DC received 3-year …
New Evidence Suggests Expanding Access to Pre-K is Good for the Economy
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Survey Finds States Make Difficult Trade-offs When Pandemic-Era Child Care Funding Runs Out
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2024 Child Care and Early Learning State Fact Sheets
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2024 CCDBG State Fact Sheets
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First Five Questions For Reps. Tenney and Schneider
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New BPC Report: A Look into Child Care Workforce Licensing Requirements
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FFYF Analysis of 2024 State of the State Addresses
Analysis of 2024 State of the State addresses given by Governors across the country found that child care, early learning, and early childhood received substantial attention across state and party …
Total Federal TANF & State MOE Expenditures for Child Care & Early Learning in FY2022
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides federal grants to states to design and operate programs that help low-income families achieve self-sufficiency. TANF plays a crucial role in …
How States Are Using PDG B-5 Grants to Support Career Pathways
The BUILD Initiative, ZERO TO THREE, and Start Early, recently released a new brief highlighting the strategies states are using to improve career pathways in their Preschool Development Grant Birth …
FFYF’S 2023 State Fact Sheets
Our new analysis of all 50 states and Washington, D.C. shows that child care and early learning programs have tremendous impacts on young children, their families, and the economy at …
Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill Tackles Access to Child Care for Parents Who Work Nontraditional Hours
Last month, Reps. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and Mark Pocan (D-WI) introduced H.R. 3639, the House companion to S. 976 the After Hours Child Care …
New 50 State Analysis Shows Impact of Federal Child Care Program
New analysis of all 50 states and the District of Columbia from First Five Years Fund (FFYF) shows that while the nation’s main federal child care program – the Child …
How CCDBG Benefits Families in Your State
The Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is the primary federal grant program that provides child care assistance to low-income working families with children under age 13. The majority …
Analysis: Majority of Governors Highlight Child Care As Key to Workforce Growth
Analysis of 2023 State of the State addresses given by Governors across the country found one issue in particular cut across state and party lines: the importance of fixing child …
FFYF’s 2022 Child Care & Early Learning State Fact Sheets
Our analysis of all 50 states and Washington, D.C. shows that the existing patchwork of federal and state early learning and care programs only reaches a fraction of income-eligible families. Federal …
New York — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
Learn About the Positive Impact of MIECHV in Your State
The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program provides federal funds to states, territories, and tribal entities for voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services. This program was reauthorized in …
Governors Highlight Child Care As Key To Helping States Recover And Grow
For years, Democratic and Republican governors alike have prioritized early learning and care as a smart investment for their states. It’s no surprise, then, that as America faces an ever-worsening child care …
2021 State Fact Sheets: Examining the Impact and Unmet Need of Federal & State ECE Funding
FFYF has released the latest iteration of its annual state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made …
New York — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
FFYF Releases State Fact Sheets, Highlighting Unique Local Landscapes
This summer, FFYF released updated state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made possible through federal and state …
New York: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
New York City Announces Major Investment in Home Visiting Services
Last week, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new estimate on the maternal mortality rate—showing that the U.S. would rank last among comparably wealthy countries. FFYF …
Preschool Development Grant Funding Awarded to 26 States for 2020
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Updated Fact Sheets Show Opportunities for States
On Monday, the Center for American Progress (CAP) released their 2019 Early Learning Fact Sheets which provide an overview of early learning in each state. As in previous years, CAP’s …
See How All 50 States Use CCDBG Funding to Support Working Families Access Quality Child Care
Yesterday, our friends at Child Care Aware of America released a series of state fact sheets on the status of funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) …
New York: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
46 States and Territories to Receive Preschool Development Grants
Big news! 46 states and territories have been awarded funding through the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5), a $250 million competitive federal grant designed to improve states’ existing early …
