Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is presenting the 2024 state budget in the Legislature this afternoon, will press on with her plan to expand child care assistance.
According to information obtained by El Diario hours before her speech at the Albany Capitol, the state official will propose increasing income eligibility from 300% of the federal poverty level (or $83,250 for a family of four) to 85% of the state median income. (or $93,200 for a family of four) for New Yorkers applying for child care subsidies. This is the maximum income level allowed by federal funds.
Under this proposal, approximately 113,000 additional children would be eligible for child care assistance.
“Having experienced a career hiatus years ago due to a lack of affordable child care, I fully understand the importance of making it more accessible to New York families, and especially working moms,” Governor Hochul said.
“The fiscal year 2024 executive budget is investing more than $7.6 billion over the next four years to improve the child care search process, expand program eligibility, and support our child care workforce,” he says.
Additionally, with the new projections, an estimated 10 percent of families in the child care program will see a reduction in child care costs due to standardized benefits, the governor’s office says.
Other points of this Hochul plan consist of simplifying the process to request help. The FY 2024 Executive Budget will create a statewide electronic application, which will allow families to pre-screen for eligibility and apply for child care assistance.
A pilot employer-supported child care program is also being contemplated. To achieve this, he established a fund of $4.8 million.