Child Care Availability Task Force

Making Child Care More
Affordable, Accessible and

Equitable for New Yorkers
Child Care Availability Task Force Report • April 2024
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 3
Summary of Task Force Recommendations 5
Findings and Recommendations 6
1. Child Care Workforce Stabilization 6
2. Workforce Development and Resources 8
3. Child Care Affordability 11
4. Child Care Availability 13
5. Incentivizing Corporate Support for Employees’ Child Care Needs 14
6. Business Supports for Child Care Providers and Systems 15
7. Universal Child Care 16
Successes and Highlights 18
Conclusion 20
• Appendix A: Child Care Availability Task Force Enabling Legislation 21
• Appendix B: Members of the New York State Child Care Availability
Task Force 22
• Appendix C: Task Force Process and Meetings 24
End Note 25
D ear Governor Hochul, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, and Speaker Heastie:
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for affordable, accessible and equitable child care
services was a necessity for New York’s hardworking families. The pandemic elevated the impor-
tance of this vital service to help grow the State’s economy. Both on the federal and state level,
significant efforts have been made to provide additional funding and incentives to give families the
resources to pay for child care, along with encouraging the expansion of early childhood care and
education programs. Still, it is clear that more work is needed to meet the growing demand.
We are so grateful to Governor Hochul for understanding the importance of reconvening the Child
Care Availability Task Force, and to our legislative leaders who will consider our comprehensive and
innovative proposals. We also sincerely appreciate each Task Force member, both returning and new
members, who have invested their time and energy to develop both near- and long-term recommen-
dations to improve the quality and affordability of child care in New York State. We are especially
proud to have had many more child care providers, across all modalities of care, participate in the
Task Force, providing valuable insights into how we can partner with them on exciting initiatives to
accomplish this mission.
Since the last Task Force report and convening, there has been a tremendous effort to improve ac-
cess to child care, as well as to strengthen and support our child care providers. Over $2.3 billion in
COVID-19 related pandemic funds were directed to New York State; the State committed to a histor-
ic expansion of the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP); distributed over $1 billion to child care
providers; and made significant investments to increase the supply of child care by providing grants
to open new programs and expand capacity for existing providers to address “child care deserts” in
NYS.
Overall, NYS will allocate record-setting funding for child care. In the most recent Enacted State Bud-
get, you have committed more than $7 billion over the course of four years to support the child care
needs of our families and communities.
The Task Force recognizes the incredible progress that has been made over the last three years
thanks to your unwavering support. The Task Force is dedicated to assisting our State leaders in driv-
ing the development of even more ground-breaking enhancements to our child care system with a
focus on addressing the child care workforce crisis and the sustainability of child care programs post
COVID-19 pandemic, and developing a framework leading to a phased-in rollout of universal child
care.
This report aspires to build on the first incarnation of the Task Force and the successes since the first
report and chart a course for New York State to continue be a national leader on child care. Finally,
Governor Hochul — we strive to complement your deeply personal commitment to reforming our
child care system as the first governor of this State who knows firsthand what it is like to be a work-
ing mother who needs affordable, accessible and equitable child care. With our own passion and
dedication, we are proud to present the findings and recommendations of the Task Force for your
review.
Sincerely,
DaMia Harris Madden, Ed.D., MBA, M.S. Roberta Reardon
Acting Commissioner Commissioner
NYS Office of Children and Family Services NYS Department of Labor
INTRODUCTION
S ince the release of the Child Care Availability

Task Force’s original report in May 2021, New
York State has made strong progress in increasing
ment of our children. They provide the foundational
intellectual, emotional and social development that
is necessary for future success, and yet, workforce
equitable access to affordable child care by raising shortages threaten to undermine other gains such
the child care eligibility limit to the federal maximum as the expansion of access to child care assistance.
as well as investing $7 billion into supporting chil- Throughout this report, this critical workforce is
dren and families. However, the work is far from over. referred to as child care providers, early childhood
If New York State is to move toward the North Star educators, and child care staff. These terms are
of universal child care, a strong framework and short used interchangeably to reflect the multiple roles
term changes are needed to develop and implement these individuals play in the child care ecosystem.
a statewide, universal system.
New York State has taken several steps using federal
The Task Force reconvened in March 2023 and was pandemic relief funding to help stabilize the work-
charged with: force. The large number of child care programs that
applied for both stabilization and workforce retention
• Evaluating the need for and availability of child grants demonstrates the need for additional support
care throughout the State. – and it further shows that there is a need for a lon-
• Examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandem- ger-term solution. Due to the high cost of operating
ic on child care. a quality child care program and the current limited
• Advising the State in developing a framework funding from families and state or local governments,
leading to a phased-in rollout of universal child child care programs – the majority of whom are small
care. businesses - need to be able to rely on ongoing
• Recommending ways to address the child care compensation supplements or grants to support their
workforce crisis. workforce and stabilize their operations for the long
• Assessing the implementation of policies sup- term.
ported by federally funded programs through The workforce concerns are interconnected to cost,
various stimulus packages. access, availability, and quality child care. Employ-
Under the historic leadership of Governor Hochul, ees in this industry have historically been financially
and with the guidance of the Task Force, New York undervalued and underpaid in the state. The Early
has made tremendous expansions in supporting eli- Childhood Workforce Index 2020: New York reports
gible families through the Child Care Assistance Pro- that 19.3% of child care providers currently live below
gram, making about 100,000 families newly income the federal poverty level, versus 8.6% of workers in
eligible for child care assistance since July 2022. Yet, other occupations and 2.5% of K-8 teachers.1 It also
many families are unable to make use of the assis- states that there are currently 86,180 members of the
tance because they cannot find a child care program early childhood teaching workforce with a bachelor’s
that meets their needs with the capacity to care for degree, but they are paid 32.6% less than their col-
their child. The main driver of the state’s capacity leagues in the K-8 school system.2 The U.S. Chamber
crisis is the workforce shortage. Child care providers of Commerce Foundation and The Education Trust
have repeatedly raised at Task Force meetings that February 2022 report, Equity in Child Care is Every-
the top concern is their inability to recruit and retain one’s Business, notes that 94% of child care workers
child care educators because they cannot afford to are female, and 40% are people of color, and looks
compensate them adequately. at how these child care workers are heavily impacted
by racial inequalities and sexism.3 Investment in and
Accordingly, while the cost and the availability of support of early childhood educators are vital to the
high-quality care remain significant concerns, the development of children and families, and NYS must
Task Force has made the child care workforce a also ensure equity for this workforce. If there is no
priority. Early childhood educators and child care significant improvement in wages and opportunities
providers are essential to the learning and develop- for career advancement, there is a risk of losing more
CHILD CARE AVAILABILIT Y TASK F O R CE | 3

valuable members of the workforce which impacts families. In addition, child care providers/educators
access to and availability of quality child care. who are business owners need business support
to continue to provide access to high-quality child
The cost of child care continues to be a challenge care for all New Yorkers. Providers are tasked with
for many New York families. The NYS Department developing programs, building leadership skills, and
of Labor reported that center-based infant care, at completing administrative responsibilities, and they
$21,826 annually, is 155% higher than the annual in- need training in human resources to effectively lead
state tuition in New York’s public four-year universi- their employees. Therefore, ongoing mentorship and
ties.4 This equates to an average of 18% of a married support are needed.
couple’s household income and an average of 63%
of a single-parent family’s household income to pay In 2021, the Child Care Availability Task Force identi-
for child care.5 Access to affordable, equitable, and fied a vision for a universal child care system, stat-
high-quality child care is critical for parental partici- ing that, “All New York families will have equitable
pation in the labor force.6 access to affordable, high-quality child care from
birth through school age regardless of income, race,
Specifically, the Task Force recommends New York ethnicity, immigration status, geographic location, or
State act with urgency to take the following actions ability.”8 The Task Force has updated this vision to
for the child care workforce (along with the more parallel New York State Human Rights Law,9 which
detailed recommendations contained in the body of is more inclusive and reads “regardless of age, race,
this report): creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigra-
• Implement a permanent line of funding for the tion status, sexual orientation, or gender identity or
child care workforce. To curtail the flight of ed- expression, military status, sex, disability, predispos-
ucators from the field and encourage others to ing genetic characteristics, familial status, marital
enter the field, this workforce investment must status.”
be permanent – offering the promise of ongo- Looking ahead, the Task Force is eager to continue
ing investments in this critical workforce. Only its work in 2024, with a focus on its charge to advise
with permanent funding will child care pro- the State in developing a framework leading to a
grams be able to recruit and retain educators. phased-in rollout of universal child care. New York
• Allow providers/educators some flexibility to is poised and ready to lead the nation in rolling out
use workforce stabilization funding to support universal child care - a strategy that will help support
program operations, so long as the vast major- and nurture New York families, and ensure New York
ity of the funds are directed toward increasing remains one of the best places in the nation to raise
the wages of all members of the licensed, reg- children.
istered child care workforce.
• Legally exempt providers/educators should also
be eligible to receive increased compensation
and other workforce supports that are allowed
for members of the licensed, registered work-
force – either through the stabilization fund-
ing described above, or by means of another
mechanism – to be determined in consultation
with legally exempt providers/educators.
An additional barrier to accessing child care is
finding an early childhood educator/provider with
available slots. There are 3.4 children under 6 years
old for every child care slot available in New York
State.7 Supporting current early childhood educators/
providers and encouraging the development of new
programs is vital to building a comprehensive child
care ecosystem that is high quality and available for
C HILD CARE AVAILABILIT Y TASK F O R CE | 4

SUMMARY OF TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Child Care Workforce Stabilization 2.5 Support innovation in the development of
training programs, including State-approved
1.1 Implement a permanent line of funding to and recognized micro-credentials, to foster
support the child care workforce. This funding career community pipelines to grow the early
should allow providers some flexibility in how childhood workforce.
they are supporting their employees, as long
as the vast majority of the funds are directed 3. Child Care Affordability
toward increasing the wages of all members of
the licensed, registered child care workforce. 3.1 Publicly commit to multi-year funding for the
1.2 Ensure support for legally exempt provid- Child Care Assistance Program by leveraging
ers. Legally exempt providers should also be federal funds to support the children current-
eligible to receive an increase in the supports ly served by the $7 billion pandemic-driven
that are allowed for members of the licensed, expansion.
registered workforce either through the stabi- 3.2 Continue to expand eligibility for child care
lization funding described above, or by means assistance and make the system more us-
of another mechanism, to be determined in er-friendly by eliminating barriers for families to
consultation with legally exempt providers. encourage participation in the program.
1.3 Expand efforts to increase awareness of 3.3 Eliminate barriers for providers to partici-
eligibility of current health insurance plans and pate in the child care assistance program.
develop opportunities to ensure individuals do 3.4 Increase the amount of reimbursement for
not lose eligibility as salaries increase. Consid- the Child Care Assistance Program.
eration should be given to models, such as an
insurance pool, that assist the child care work- 4. Child Care Availability
force with co-pays and deductibles.
4.1 Increase the availability of quality child care
2. Workforce Development and Resources providers who meet the needs of New York’s
diverse communities.
2.1 Encourage educators in all licensed pro- 4.2 Launch a new cost-of-care model of pay-
grams and settings to enroll in the Aspire ment in the Child Care Assistance Program
Registry, New York’s workforce registry for early statewide that is based on the true cost of care.
childhood and school-age professionals.
2.2 Fully fund existing workforce supports for 5. Incentivizing Corporate Support for
career and academic advising programs and Employees’ Child Care Needs
organizations that provide field-specific career
and academic advising services for the early 5.1 Implement and expand upon Governor Ho-
childhood, child care, and school-age work- chul’s Business Navigator program to include
force. qualified and skilled business coaching models
2.3 Increase scholarship support funding for designed to meet the unique needs of owners,
existing scholarship programs that support the boards, and directors.
current workforce to obtain the higher edu- 5.2 Develop a suite of corporate programs and
cation degrees, credentials, and certifications tax credits to meet corporations’ and employ-
needed to advance within the field. ers’ needs.
2.4 Identify and eliminate regulatory and policy
barriers to the establishment of shared substi-
tute educator pools to support programs being
able to remain open, as well as provide time for
educators pursuing additional education.

6. Business Supports for Child Care tential actions such as the possibility of amend-
Providers and Systems ing New York law to allow for the establishment
of a pooled fund for child care providers.
6.1 Strengthen partnerships between child care
agencies and regulatory systems to better sup- 7. Universal Child Care
port child care providers, children, and families. 7.1 Create an implementation plan and timeline
6.2 Provide enhanced business start-up and to transition to a new system of universal child
in-service training and technical assistance care.
opportunities, including business practice, em- 7.2 Launch and evaluate a state-run child care
ployment law, workplace environment, benefits assistance pilot program.
management, tax planning, regulatory compli- 7.3 Create an integrated child care data system
ance, marketing, governance, and community with the capability to connect various NYS/NYC
engagement. child care data systems and platforms.
6.3 The Department of Financial Services (DFS) 7.4 Improve coordination with New York State
and the Office of Children and Family Services Education Department (NYSED) pre-kindergar-
(OCFS) should work to analyze the availability ten programs within existing resources.
and affordability of liability insurance and po-
FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
N ew York State needs a universal child care

system that is affordable, accessible, high-qual-
ity, and coordinated in order to serve families and
Key Findings:
• New York’s child care educators, 94% of whom
communities and promote the health, safety, and are women and 40% of whom identify as
early education of children in care. The Task Force’s people of color, are paid such low wages that
findings and specific recommendations for achieving 12% live below the federal poverty level, more
that goal are outlined below and are aimed at stabi- than twice the rate of New York workers in
lizing and building the early education workforce, as general (5%).11 Many cannot afford to remain in
well as improving the systems that serve families. the field.12 The average wage for a child care
worker in New York in May 2022 was $35,190
1. Child Care Workforce Stabilization annually or $16.92 an hour.13
• According to data collected in March 2023
The recommendations in this section focus on devel- from over 1,660 programs by the Empire State
oping a sustained solution to New York’s persistent Campaign for Child Care, all programs were
child care workforce shortage. Child care workforce operating below their licensed capacity due to
challenges threaten to undermine the tremendous workforce shortages: serving 28,462 fewer chil-
gains New York has made in expanding access to dren than capacity.14 Programs reported 3,800
child care assistance because these challenges can staff positions unfilled and over 750 classrooms
directly cause a decline in child care capacity. in child care centers and after-school programs
unused due to insufficient staffing levels.
Investment in the child care workforce is also an
investment in quality. According to a 2022 report • During the pandemic, New York received more
from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, “the than $2.3 billion in federal stimulus funds under
quality of child-teacher interactions and relationships the Coronavirus Response and Reinvestment
is the most important factor in achieving positive de- Act (CRRSA) and the American Rescue Plan Act
velopmental outcomes for children. Supporting these (ARPA) to stabilize the child care industry over
relationships requires attracting and retaining talent- the course of approximately three years.15,16
ed teachers with sufficient wages and benefits (or • In total, New York has invested approximately
revenue, in the case of home-based providers) and $2.3 billion of pandemic stimulus funds toward
supporting teacher interactions with children through child care workforce supports and child care
education and professional development.”10 provider stabilization:

◊ In 2022, approximately $900 million was awarded to 15,000 eligible child care providers through
the Child Care Stabilization Grant 1.0, and $208 million was awarded to 12,578 child care providers
through the Stabilization 2.0. As expected, NYS saw spending in the most needed area – personnel
– from both rounds of the Child Care Stabilization Grant. This funding kept many child care business-
es afloat, but it was a short-term investment in workforce supports and wage increases.
◊ In 2023, New York provided workforce retention grants to child care workers. As of January 2024,
$330 million has been distributed to child care providers. The retention program provided one-time
payments ranging from $2,300 to $3,000 for retention and referral bonuses for existing staff and
sign-on bonuses for new workers.
• A recent survey of the early childhood and child care workforce in New York found that only one-third
(33%) have health insurance provided by their employer. Of the remaining two-thirds, most (92%) had
some other form of health insurance. For those that had some other form of health insurance, 38% had
health insurance through Medicaid.
We Recommend: workforce, either through the stabilization

funding described above, or by means of
1.1 Implementing a permanent line of another mechanism to be determined in
funding to support the child care work- consultation with legally exempt provid-
force. To curtail the flight of educators from ers/educators. Legally exempt providers/
the field and encourage others to enter the educators offer families care and learning
field, the pandemic-era workforce invest- experiences that include a safe environment
ments must be made permanent – offering and foster the development of their chil-
the promise of ongoing wage supplements. dren. Legally exempt providers/educators
Ongoing funding will allow child care pro- represent a large population of women and
grams to recruit and retain educators. These multilingual persons who provide a person-
funds should allow child care providers alized level of care with consideration to
flexibility in utilization of funds toward work- familial cultures. Legally exempt providers/
force needs as long as the vast majority of educators also offer families the flexibility
the funds are directed toward increasing the they need for care by accommodating work
wages of all members of the licensed, regis- schedules and life events. These providers/
tered child care workforce. Providers should educators should not be forgotten and need
be able to use a portion of this funding for, to be supported with state investments.
but not limited to, bonuses or increases in 1.3 Expanding efforts to increase aware-
wages, contributions towards health insur- ness of eligibility of current health insur-
ance costs, contributions to staff retirement ance plans and develop opportunities to
plans that supplement any employer contri- ensure individuals do not lose eligibility
bution, supplemental educational advance- as salaries increase. Consideration should
ment or tuition reimbursement, and mental be given to models, such as an insurance
health supports and services for staff. pool, that assist the child care workforce
• Funds could be distributed as periodic with co-pays and deductibles. New York
allocations, which will enable child care should develop a plan so that as salaries for
providers to budget accordingly for the workforce increase, individuals will not
salaries, benefits, and other operational lose their eligibility for low- or no-cost insur-
expenses year to year. ance plans offered through the marketplace.
1.2 Ensuring support for legally exempt This plan could include expanding efforts to
providers/educators. Legally exempt pro- increase awareness of eligibility for current
viders should also be eligible to receive an health insurance plans, for example, through
increase in the workforce supports allowed the expansion of health insurance naviga-
for members of the licensed, registered tors.
C HILD CARE AVAILABILIT Y TAS K F O R CE | 7

2. Workforce Development and Resources nizations in NYS, including home-based
child care providers, trainers, center-based
New York’s early childhood and child care workforce programs, school-based programs, af-
is the key component to program quality. High-qual- ter-school programs, and training orga-
ity early care and education depends on early nizations. Aspire users provide data on
childhood educators who engage children using their employment (job title, dates, salary,
developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, etc.), education (certificates, credentials,
and linguistically sustaining practices. It is therefore degrees), and professional development
essential that state policy explicitly support a diverse, (trainings, workshops, and coaching).
skilled, and equitably compensated early care and Which is entered into the Registry and
education workforce as the bedrock of its quality verified. Therefore reducing the adminis-
strategy. In addition to compensation, other supports trative burden on programs and educators.
are needed to ensure that programs and other stake- OCFS and its training vendor, the Pro-
holders have the resources and data that they need fessional Development Program’s (PDP)
to be able to operate a high-quality system. Early Childhood Education and Training
Program (ECETP), launched a new registra-
Key Findings: tion process for all child care programs in
• There are multiple data sources for estimates February 2023. The new process includes
on the current size of the child care and early the ability for OCFS and PDP to automati-
childhood education workforce, and there are cally exchange training records for OCFS
gaps in data across those sources. According licensed and registered child care pro-
to data from the NYS Department of Labor, grams, along with capturing more specific
approximately 72,000 people were employed demographic information of providers.
in the child care industry in New York in 2022. Within the ECETP system, there are over
This data primarily captures workers employed 168,992 active user accounts; many of
in center-based programs but excludes self-em- which overlap with the Aspire Registry.
ployed workers including owners of home- • Career mobility and advancement in early child-
based child care businesses.17 Based on current hood and school-age child care is driven by
in-house data on child care staff eligible to advancement in educational attainment. Stan-
work in licensed/registered programs, the NYS dard campus-based career centers are not pre-
Office of Children and Family Services esti- pared to offer early childhood-specific career
mates the overall size of the workforce, includ- advising that leads to the degrees, credentials,
ing home-based providers and school-age child and certifications that the workforce needs and
care program staff, at closer to 125,000 people. that satisfy licensing and teacher certification
Demographic data and data on educational requirements.
attainment and compensation are available, but • The workforce needs clear pathways within
only for a subset of the population. higher education, with coursework and de-
• All staff in early childhood, child care, and grees that easily accumulate so that educators
school-age programs are required to have on- can advance within the field. There are regions
going professional development to continue to in New York where the workforce does not
develop their skills and knowledge about child have access to any higher education teacher
development and health and safety require- preparation degree programs because none
ments. are offered or are only offered during tradition-
◊ The Aspire Registry is an online system al hours when most educators are working.
that supports early childhood profession- • Current early childhood scholarship resourc-
als in New York State by storing verified es, including the Education Incentive Program
information about their education, profes- (EIP), the CUNY/SUNY Early Childhood Work-
sional development, and experience in the force Scholarship, Quality Scholars, and the
field. The Aspire Registry currently serves QUALITYstarsNY scholarship, have served
over 36,000 individuals and 4,700 orga- thousands of educators, but data indicates

that the need is far from being fully met. Staff • The NYS Early Childhood Advisory Council
in school-age (SACC) licensed programs can is focused on early childhood teacher prepa-
utilize EIP, but are not eligible for any of the ration, examining the current program land-
available scholarship resources scape, reviewing innovative practices, and
◊ Scholarship amounts vary by program: recommending strategies to increase equitable
up to $2,500 per individual per year for access to higher education opportunities (in-
EIP, $2,000 per individual per year for cluding credit-bearing coursework in languages
the CUNY/SUNY Early Childhood Work- other than English, online degree programs,
force Scholarship, and $2,500 each for coursework offered during non-traditional
the Quality Scholars and QUALITYstarsNY hours, and micro-credentialing opportunities
scholarships. Full-time tuition at a CUNY that are compatible with licensing and teacher
community college is $4,800 per year and certification).
at a SUNY community college it is $6,332.
The EIP scholarship funds both profession-
al development and college coursework, We Recommend:
and the other scholarships cover degrees, Additional resources to strengthen the current
credentials, and certifications in early systems that support early childhood, child care,
childhood. and school-age professionals and address the
◊ When provided access through tailored challenges described above.
and specific academic advising and with 2.1 Encourage educators in all licensed
scholarship supports, students earning programs and settings to enroll in the
degrees in early childhood education Aspire Registry, New York’s workforce
have demonstrated remarkable success. registry for early childhood and school-
According to the CUNY Professional De- age professionals. Aspire data compiles
velopment Institute (PDI), which operates workforce data across licensing agencies
career advising programming, the vast ma- and funding sources, so thereby has the
jority earn grades of B+ or higher and have potential to offer the most complete and
high semester-to-semester persistence comprehensive data set about the work-
rates. CUNY PDI’s current workforce schol- force in New York.
arship recipients are primarily women of
2.2 Fully fund existing workforce sup-
color (67%) and over the age of 30 (66%),
a population that has not traditionally ports for career and academic advising
had sufficient access to higher education existing programs and organizations that
opportunities. These scholarship supports provide field-specific career and academ-
are addressing historic inequities that ic advising services for the early child-
women and people of color in the childhood, child care, and school-age work-
hood and early childhood education sector force. NYS has invested federal funding to
have experienced. create and expand services that provide
one-on-one career and academic advising
◊ A newly offered scholarship program
services to providers across the state to
through QUALITYstarsNY allocated $1.5
access the higher education opportunities
million in scholarship funds in the first half
and scholarship resources available to them
of FY24 when eligibility was expanded to
to achieve the degrees, credentials, and
cover additional courses and other fees
certifications needed to advance within the
including textbooks, transcript evaluation,
sector. The State should continue to fund
and translation services.
these services and expand them to include
• Access to higher education also requires re- the school-age workforce.
lease time from employment and coursework
available at non-traditional times (mornings,
evenings, weekends), as well as online. Sub-
stitute staff are needed so that programs can
remain open and serve children while staff are
pursuing the coursework needed to obtain de-
grees, credentials, and certifications.

2.3 Increase funding for existing schol- training and technical assistance ser-
arship programs that support the cur- vices and supports for early childhood
rent workforce to obtain the higher educator/providers, workforce boards,
education degrees, credentials, and cer- school districts, licensing and regulatory
tifications needed to advance within the agencies, and other relevant stakehold-
field. Expand eligibility for scholarships ers.
to fund higher education degrees, cre- Working with colleges across the state,
dentials, certifications, and professional especially in areas with a lack of higher
development for the school-age work- education programs for early childhood
force. Career advising and scholarship providers, is vital to creating innovative
supports will galvanize progress along recruitment opportunities for the child
teacher pathways by supporting educa- care and early childhood workforce.
tors to earn credentials faster. Partnerships between child care em-
2.4 Identify and eliminate regulatory ployers, higher education programs, and
and policy barriers to the establishment the Office of Children and Family Ser-
of shared substitute pools to support vices and the NYC Department of Health
programs being able to remain open, as and Mental Hygiene will help to ensure
that new programs, including new mi-
well as provide time for educators pur-
cro-credential and certificate programs,
suing additional education. NYS should will serve the needs of children, families,
engage with federal partners around the and employers, while maintaining high
issue of portable background checks for levels of quality for both the higher edu-
substitute teachers. Solutions will also cation and child care sectors.
need to be developed to address issues
around liability and worker’s compensa-
tion insurance. Licensing agencies will
also need to amend requirements to
ensure that substitute teachers have the
same qualifications and training require-
ments as regular staff.
2.5 Support innovation in the develop-
ment of training programs, including
State-approved and recognized mi-
cro-credentials, to foster career commu-
nity pipelines to grow the early child-
hood workforce.
Small workforce development pilot
projects are essential for developing and
implementing community-level transfor-
mative solutions. Support for local pilot
projects that have the potential to be
scaled across the state will help to trans-
form early childhood care and learning
by recruiting and developing teachers
trusted by the community. Local initia-
tives should include child care employ-
ers, institutions of higher education,

3. Child Care Affordability We recommend:
The goal of the Task Force remains the same as 3.1 Publicly committing to multi-year
the original 2021 recommendations: New York funding for the Child Care Assistance
State should enact a comprehensive strategy to Program (CCAP).
ensure that high-quality child care is affordable NYS should commit multi-year funding
for every family with young children. This strate- and leverage federal funds to support
gy should prioritize families that are low-income, the children who are currently being
communities of color and other historically served by the $7 billion pandemic-driven
underserved groups. Over the past three years, expansion of the Child Care Assistance
New York has dramatically expanded access to Program. A multi-year funding commit-
the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) or ment would encourage counties to com-
child care subsidy, making around 100,000 of mit to child care assistance that crosses
New York families newly eligible for funding to budget cycles, thereby discouraging the
support their child care needs. And yet, barri- creation of unnecessary waitlists and the
ers still keep many families from accessing this perception of scarcity.
assistance, leaving families to face these high Committing to a multi-year fund allows
costs on their own. child care providers to create consistent
investments into personnel costs, safety
Key Findings: procedures, high-quality options, and
• Without assistance, child care is unafford- other services necessary to maintain
able for many New York families. In 2022, child care services to all families. Many
the average annual price of full-time cen- child care providers were only able to
ter-based child care in New York for an survive through the pandemic and in the
infant was $21,826.18 Annual cost of full- years afterwards because of the federal
time care for one infant in a family-based pandemic funding. Without this addition-
program in 2022 was $18,200.19 And costs al commitment, the child care system
in many communities are much higher than will suffer and regress on progress made
these average prices. in recent years. Finally, a commitment to
multi-year funding would give providers
• Though child care expenses were a large
contemplating expanding their capacity
part of a family’s budget even before the
confidence that their subsidy levels will
pandemic, since 2020, the affordability cri-
remain steady. This could help expand
sis has worsened and in many parts of the
the supply of child care seats around the
state has become untenable.20
state.
• When costs of safe, quality child care be-
3.2 Continuing to expand eligibility
come unreachable for families, their op-
for the Child Care Assistance Program
tions are severely limited and many turn to
(CCAP) and make the system more
illegal care arrangements that may not be
user-friendly by eliminating barriers for
safe for children.21
families to participate in the program
by:
• Identifying funding to allow immi-
grant children and children of asylum
seekers, who might be ineligible
for assistance under federal rules,
access to child care assistance and
creating an infrastructure that will
meet the needs of this sensitive pop-
ulation.

• Limiting the restrictions to child care instead of vouchers based on day-to-
assistance based on parents’ em- day attendance, to increase stability
ployment status, hours worked, and in the system and simplify access for
minimum compensation. families, beginning with underserved
• Implementing presumptive eligibility communities in child care deserts.
and presumptive enrollment for child • Establishing a uniform, simple, and
care assistance statewide. Hold coun- centralized process for child care
ties harmless for serving children who providers to enroll to accept child
are later deemed ineligible. care assistance.
• Continuing to develop and implement • Fixing and simplifying the payment
a centralized online application to process for providers, including pay-
determine eligibility and develop and ing prospectively and making it easi-
implement a centralized online appli- er to submit claims as well as create
cation to apply for assistance. transparent data tracking to identify
• Creating a transparent and indepen- delays and problems.
dent statewide data system to track • Expediting the process of approving
the eligibility and enrollment process and enrolling children so providers
so that barriers and delays can be can be paid in a timely manner.
quickly addressed. • Automatically implementing market
• Creating a seamless, transparent rate increases and eliminating the
“bridge” to connect providers, par- requirement for providers to apply
ents, and enrollment agencies so that or produce proof or an attestation of
child care is obtained and maintained what they charge private-pay par-
without ever losing service. ents.
• Require parent and provider partici- 3.4 Increasing the amount of reim-
pation, input, and decision-making in bursement for the Child Care Assis-
the development of new systems and tance Program by:
processes. • Increasing the market rate to reflect
3.3 Eliminating barriers for providers to the increase in minimum wage.
participate in the Child Care Assistance • Increasing the reimbursement rate
Program by: for programs, including legally-ex-
• Incentivizing providers, raising rates, empt providers that offer non-tradi-
and offering contracted care to ex- tional hours of care.
pand capacity for underserved fam-
ilies needing non-traditional hours
care, care for children with special
needs, culturally diverse relevance
and home language care, and care
for children in areas not designated
as a “child care desert” but still short
of slots.
• New York State should engage
with federal partners to explore the
possibility of moving to an enroll-
ment-based system that relies on
contracts with high-quality providers,

4. Child Care Availability We recommend:
Finding a provider continues to be the primary 4.1 Increasing the availability of qual-
hurdle for families needing child care in NYS. ity child care providers that meet the
Though the number of providers continues to re- needs of New York’s diverse communi-
cover from the losses during the pandemic, the ties.
lack of an available workforce is restricting the • Expand recruitment efforts for new
full recovery of the system. Without emphasis child care providers through local
on supporting and expanding the workforce, the Child Care Resource and Referral
barrier to access cannot be addressed. (CCR&R) agencies, QUALITYstarsNY,
and other stakeholder partners that
Key Findings: focus on engaging potential child
• Today the child care sector is experienc- care providers from diverse commu-
ing a massive labor shortage, as child care nities, including multilingual individ-
workers have left the profession in record uals and Native American commu-
numbers. At the same time, lack of afford- nities. Special attention should be
able child care is hindering the economic given to program modalities that are
recovery, as roughly 14 million working par- most likely to reach families of di-
ents who left their jobs at the beginning of verse populations, such as family and
the pandemic still lack the child care they group family child care providers.
need to return to work.22 4.2 Launching a new cost-of-care mod-
• Licensed child care capacity in New York el for payment in the Child Care Assis-
State has still not recovered to its pre-pan- tance Program that is based on the true
demic levels, with 2,159 fewer seats in cost of care.
2022 than in 2019.23,24 At the height of the • Significant work has been done in
pandemic (Jan 2020-Jan 2022), there was the area of the child care assistance
a net loss of 1,351 regulated child care pro- program. This should be expanded
grams and nearly 15,000 seats.25,26 Howev- upon and should include the creation
er, between 2022 and 2023, there was a of a new cost-of-care model that is
gain of 4,933 seats, and an increase of 183 effective and useful. This model
programs.27,28 should also reflect the true cost of
• In the case of home-based child care, ca- care of all age groups, be based on
pacity is slowly returning to pre-pandemic the most current approved quali-
numbers. In family and group family child ty standards, not rely on providing
care providers, there were 7,266 fewer care to four-year-olds to create a
seats in 2023 than in 2019, but an increase sustainable business model, and not
of 3,073 seats in 2022.29,30,31 Notably, the be based solely on parent fees. This
home-base sector serves a disproportion- model should include increases in
ately high percentage of families receiving minimum wage that are being imple-
child care assistance and is far more likely mented across NYS.
to serve families needing care during early
mornings, nights, and weekends.32,33
• Nationally, during the past two years,
16,000 child care programs have closed,
and the industry experienced a 9% decline
in the number of licensed providers. From
February 2020 through July 2022, nearly
90,000 providers left the child care indus-
try, and another 2,000 left from August to
September 2022. In September, child care
employment dropped to 9.7% below what
it was in February 2020, with 102,400 jobs
lost.34

5. Incentivizing Corporate Support for Em- We recommend:
ployees’ Child Care Needs 5.1 Implementing and expanding upon
Key Findings: Governor Hochul’s Business Navigator
program to include qualified and skilled
The Task Force identified a significant need to business coaching models designed
build support among corporate employers in to meet the unique needs of owners,
NYS for expanding child care access as one boards, and directors.
strategy to address lack of capacity in many In 2023, Governor Hochul announced
parts of the state. In a 2022 U.S. Census Bu- a $1 million commitment to create a
reau survey of households, more than 365,000 Business Navigator program to sup-
adults reported losing a job in the four weeks port corporations that are interested in
preceding the survey because they needed to supporting their employees’ child care
take time off to care for children under the age needs. This program will focus on locally
of 5.35 More than 1.3 million survey respondents and regionally available resources and
reported that an adult in their household had connecting those employers to technical
in the past two weeks left a job to care for chil- assistance to design a program to meet
dren, and more than 1.6 million parents reported their needs.
supervising one or more children while work- 5.2 Developing a suite of corporate
ing.36 NYS has engaged in numerous programs programs and tax credits to meet cor-
to build corporate support for supporting their porations’ and employers’ needs.
employees’ child care needs, including working
with the federal government on the implemen- Tax credits cannot be a substitute for
tation of the CHIPS Act and the development of direct public investment, but they should
Micron semiconductor facility in Central NY. As be used to supplement other programs
one example of an employer supporting their and initiatives as a way of partnering
employees’ child care needs, Micron is address- with corporations to support their em-
ing the issue with multiple strategies, including ployees’ child care needs. Tax credits
building on-site child care and helping develop could help support the child care work-
off-site programs in various communities. force, support high-quality child care
facilities, and offset the direct cost to
employers associated with providing
child care for their employees. Current-
ly, state and federal tax credits that are
available to corporations are underuti-
lized. As the Task Force’s 2021 report
stated, child care is integral to economic
development and providing a suite of
tax credit options could build on these
efforts.37 Possible models could include:
• Continuing investments in business
partnership models, including work-
place-based care as well as business
contracted/supplemented slots.
• Expanding tax credits to employers
that are willing to establish and oper-
ate programs or pay providers direct-
ly as a benefit.
• Providing incentives at the com-
munity level to support new child
care provider businesses, including
supporting local Chambers of Com-
merce to develop programs and/or
offer local incentives.

6. Business Supports for Child Care We recommend:
Providers and Systems 6.1 Strengthening partnerships be-
These recommendations focus on providing tween child care agencies and regu-
essential business support to child care provid- latory systems to better support child
ers. This support encompasses various aspects, care providers, children, and families.
including financial assistance to cover startup • Create consistency and transparency
costs, employment law compliance, and regula- with licensing/registration/permitting
tory guidance. It also emphasizes professional procedures, by aligning monitoring
empowerment by offering guidance on business and inspection procedures.
planning and marketing. Providers are encour- • Create ongoing mentoring and sup-
aged to develop program administration and port for prospective child care pro-
leadership skills, maintain accurate business re- viders and newly opened programs
cords, and receive training in human resources to ensure their success.
for effective employee management. Addition- • Expand work to create supportive
ally, fostering strong relationships with parents partnerships between regulators
and families is a key element. To address these and child care providers to include
needs, a tiered business training model is pro- all modalities in all parts of the state,
posed to help providers choose the training that including NYC.
best suits their requirements. 6.2 Providing enhanced business start-
Key Findings: up and in-service training and technical
assistance opportunities, including
• According to Child Care Aware of Ameri- business practice, employment law,
ca, providers – particularly in home-based workplace environment, benefits man-
settings – often perform all the additional agement, tax planning, regulatory com-
tasks associated with operating their pro- pliance, marketing, governance, and
gram outside of the normal hours of op- community engagement.
eration, sacrificing precious personal and 6.3 The Department of Financial Ser-
family time.38 vices (DFS) and the Office of Children
• The results of these multiple roles are and Family Services (OCFS) should
long hours and a high degree of burnout. work to analyze the availability and
Specifically, home-based providers can be affordability of liability insurance and
isolated from other child care professionals, potential actions such as the possibility
with few opportunities to connect with their of amending New York law to allow for
peers. These factors, combined with low the establishment of a pooled fund for
pay, have been cited as reasons for child child care providers.
care providers leaving the field.39 In conducting their analysis, the agen-
• Child care and multi-service providers are cies should also consider the special
also challenged with accessing liability circumstances faced by multi-service
insurance needed to maintain contracts. providers as these organizations some-
According to personal experiences detailed times offer child care services and typ-
by members of the Task Force, access to ically purchase insurance for the scope
affordable insurance impacts the ability of their portfolio. The State of Illinois
of providers to maintain and/or grow their established a “Religious and Charitable
business. Several factors including serving Risk Pooling Trust” in 2015 that could
a “risky” or vulnerable population, employ- potentially serve as a model.
ee retention, labor shortage issues, regu-
lations governing the sector and general
inflation heavily influence the kinds of poli-
cies and premiums that might be available
to providers.

7. Universal Child Care plicated and cumbersome applications; varied
rules by county; processing delays; minimum
In 2021, the Child Care Availability Task Force work hour and wage requirements; and immigra-
identified a vision for universal child care stating tion status requirements.
that “All New York families will have equitable
access to affordable, high-quality child care from
birth through school age regardless of income, We recommend:
race, ethnicity, immigration status, geographic
location, or ability.” The Task Force has updat- 7.1 Creating an implementation plan
ed this vision in accordance with Chapter 682, and timeline to transition to a new sys-
section 296 of the 2023 New York State Human tem of universal child care.
Rights Law, which is more inclusive and reads, According to statute, the Task Force
“...regardless of an individual’s age, race, creed, must “advise the state in developing an
color, national origin, citizenship or immigration implementation framework leading to a
status, sexual orientation, gender identity or phased-in rollout of universal child care.”
expression, military status, sex, disability, pre- While this report lays the foundation for
disposing genetic characteristics, familial status, such a framework, there is still work to
marital status, or status as a victim of domestic be done. And while the implementation
violence…”40 Now, a strong framework is needed of a new system is ultimately the respon-
in order to move toward a universal child care sibility of the state government, there
system that is truly accessible to all New York must be meaningful input and support
families. from all stakeholders.
Key Findings: Therefore, the State should continue
the work of the Task Force by focusing
Over the past three years, New York State has on creating an implementation plan that
made strides toward this goal by dramatical- will:
ly expanding access to child care assistance • Establish timeframes for both incre-
(“CCAP”) by: mental steps and system transfor-
• Expanding income eligibility for child care mation; short- and long-term goals
assistance to 85% of the state median and outcomes; and accountability
income (SMI) of $67,490 for a family of two; measures, including the collection of
$99,250 for a family of four; and $131,010 disaggregated data across agencies.
for a family of six. • Include state and local government
• Lowering the parent share of payment to partners.
1% of income over the federal poverty level. • Include representatives from busi-
• Providing stabilization grants to support ness communities, including but not
child care programs and retention and limited to, the NYS Business Council,
recruitment grants for the workforce (see the Regional Economic Development
Recommendation 1). Councils, and local Chambers of
New York has also taken significant strides to Commerce.
reduce administrative barriers that can pre- • Include representatives from all
vent otherwise eligible families from accessing stakeholder groups who are appoin-
child care, including: implementing adjunctive tees in the Child Care Availability
income-eligibility for families enrolled in other Task Force, including parents with
assistance programs; requiring local social ser- lived experience.
vice districts establish interim eligibility periods The Task Force is required to report
of child care assistance to families experiencing annually on its progress, and this will
homelessness, to the extent funds are available; include details on the plan developed
and requiring counties to reimburse providers as well as the implementation status of
for up to 80 absences per child, per provider. existing recommendations.
And yet, as noted above (see Affordability sec-
tion), families in need of child care assistance
still face many barriers to access, including com-

7.2 Launching and evaluating state-run 7.4 Improving coordination with State
child care assistance pilot programs. Education Department (NYSED)
A year-long pilot in diverse areas of the Pre-Kindergarten programs. While
state (urban, rural, upstate, downstate) the creation of free pre-K programs for
would demonstrate feasibility. three- and four-year-olds was well-inten-
7.3 Creating an integrated child care tioned, it has had unintentional conse-
data system with the capability to con- quences for many child care programs.
nect all the various NYS/NYC child care The Task Force recommends that OCFS
data systems and platforms, building on and NYSED work together to strengthen
the connections between systems that school district partnerships with com-
have already been made. The collection munity-based organizations (CBOs) and
and integration of data about capacity improve coordination through a process
would assist statewide and local efforts that will allow NYSED and OCFS to con-
to maximize enrollment and optimize nect with CBOs and districts to identify
child care services and systems for both the challenges, study the trends, and
early childhood educator/provider and come up with solutions together.
families.

SUCCESSES AND HIGHLIGHTS
S ince the inception of the Child Care Availability

Task Force in December 2018 and the publish-
ing of the first Task Force recommendations in 2021,
sistance Program, Head Start, and state-funded pre-
kindergarten grants as well as specific state-funded
programs like the Child Care Facilitated Enrollment
there have been a number of successes in moving Project.
New York’s child care system forward. Below outlines
several updates on existing recommendations from In 2023, OCFS worked with the U.S. Department
the 2021 report. of Defense to bring the Military Child Care in Your
Neighborhood (MCCYN) program to NYS to assist
Section 1: Child Care Affordability military families with child care costs. After careful
review, the U.S. Department of Defense determined
The Task Force recommended in Section 1, that NYS that NYS’s licensing system met their definition of
set a statewide standard for affordability for child “high quality care,” and now more than 48,000 New
care (recommendation 1.1). This included setting a York State military families will be able to receive
sliding scale on parent copays for the child care child care fee assistance statewide. The military fee
assistance program as well as expanding eligibility assistance will offset the cost of child care not cov-
up to 85% of the state median income (SMI). In 2023, ered by the parent fee as calculated by their total
NYS adopted regulations to formally raise eligibility family income up to a maximum child care rate of
to 85% SMI as well as lower parent copays to just $1,800 per month per child. New York State was se-
1% of the family’s income above the federal poverty lected as the first state approved to qualify licensed/
level. These additions are part of a $7 billion child registered child care providers for participation in
care investment over the next four years and raises this federal military fee assistance program.
the income limit from 300% of the federal poverty
level, or $83,250 for a family of four, to 85% of the Section 2: Equitable Access to Child Care
state median income, or $99,250 for a family of four,
In 2021, section 2 of the Child Care Availability Task
assisting over 100,000 additional New York families.
Force’s report focused on improving access to child
Recommendation 1.2 focused on shifting how NYS care to ensure it is equitable. These recommen-
sets payment rates for the Child Care Assistance Pro- dations included improvements to the Child Care
gram, which currently uses a market rate survey of Assistance Program (CCAP) to ensure that all eligible
child care providers’ prices. NYS increased the reim- families had access to the support if they needed it.
bursement rate from the 69th percentile to the 80th Recommendation 2.1 specifically encouraged elimi-
percentile. The Task Force recommended that NYS nating disparities across counties in Child Care Assis-
focus instead on paying the cost of providing child tance Program policies. NYS has made tremendous
care rather than price-based data. In 2023, the Office gains in standardizing the CCAP program across
of Children and Family Services (OCFS) amended the state, including in 2023, when New York State
the required market rate survey to include questions increased the number of allowable annual absences
that address the true cost of child care to ensure that from 24 to 80 days and capped family co-pays at 1%
the rates provide equal access for eligible children to of a family’s annual income above the federal pover-
comparable services in the state. OCFS also par- ty level.
ticipated in a multi-year project with The Education
Section 2, Recommendation 2.2, also highlighted
Trust - New York and Raising New York to conduct a
the limited access to child care in some parts of the
cost-of-care study in NYS, the data from which was
state, called “child care deserts.” To address the
released in late 2023.
issue of child care deserts, in 2022, New York State
In Recommendation 1.4, the Task Force also en- identified $100 million to build and expand child care
couraged NYS to expand efforts to braid and blend capacity in areas with the least supply. NYS issued
funding sources to better support the child care two grants to over 500 providers to create or expand
ecosystem. NYS has multiple programs that support their programs.
providers and families, including the Child Care As-
In 2023, the Early Care and Learning Council con-

vened the “It Takes a Village” summit aimed at include investments in programs and the early child-
reducing/eliminating the expulsion and suspension hood workforce to drive high-quality care in order to
of Black and brown boys from early care and edu- best serve children and families. In light of these rec-
cation. The summit brought together parents, pro- ommendations, New York State invested $35 million
viders, owners, directors, and teachers with ongoing in QUALITYstarsNY, delivering resources to improve
workgroups and a second convening of experts early childhood care, including staff training. QUALI-
focused on public health and systems change. The TYstarsNY is New York’s quality rating and improve-
partnership will continue into 2024 with stakeholders ment system, based on five stars, with five being the
initiating intentional and actionable steps to prevent highest. QUALITYstarsNY is a statewide initiative led
expulsion and suspension of Black and brown boys by the New York Early Childhood Professional Devel-
in early care. opment Institute at the City University of New York,
under the guidance of the Governor’s Early Child-
As part of a historic investment in families and child hood Advisory Council.
care, the 2024 Budget provides $4.8 million allo-
cated to the New York State employer-supported The federal pandemic funds directed to child care fo-
child care pilot program. Participating employers, cused on stabilizing programs while also supporting
the State, and employees will split the cost of child the workforce. Through multiple rounds of funding,
care. Eligible families must be between 85-100% of over $1.5 billion has been invested in child care pro-
the state median income ($116,765 SMI for a family of grams and the child care workforce since 2021. This
four). The pilot will operate in three areas of the state funding supported over 15,000 child care providers
(urban, rural and suburban). and over 100,000 child care staff who work directly
with children and families.
Also included in the 2024 Executive Budget is $1
million to create a statewide Business Navigator Section 4: Coordinated Systems
Program with the intent to assist businesses that are
interested in supporting the child care needs of their The Task Force vision for coordinated systems in-
employees. The Business Navigator Program will cluded an “integrated early care and learning system
operate in each of the ten Regional Economic Devel- with consistent and coordinated standards oversight
opment Council regions, with $100,000 allocated to and monitoring.” This vision resulted in the 2021 Task
each region. Force report’s recommendations on how regula-
tions, policies, and procedures will support all other
NYS, with the Child Care Creation and Expansion facets of child care. Since the report, New York has
Tax Credit, is going even further to help businesses made several improvements to system coordination
extend a lifeline to their workers and treat child care and data transparency, including publishing multiple
like any other employee benefit. Under the initiative, dashboards and data sets to bring visibility to child
businesses that create new child-care seats or ex- care programs and deliverables. These improve-
pand existing child care to add new infant or toddler ments include the OCFS federal pandemic funds, the
seats will be eligible for a state tax credit. That could Department of Labor Child Care in New York State
mean building new child care facilities near offices or dashboard, and the Early Childhood Advisory Coun-
job sites, working with existing child-care providers cil (ECAC)’s New York State Early Childhood Data
to add capacity at an affordable cost for workers, di- Dashboard. The ECAC’s dashboard provides data
rect assistance to subsidize workers’ child care costs and demographics by county on the number of chil-
or other measures to put this crucial benefit within dren, child care slots, and workforce for early child
reach for New Yorkers. care (children 0 to 5 years), along with programs
participating in QUALITYStarsNY, market rates used
Section 3: High-Quality Child Care for child care assistance payments, and health and
In 2020, the Child Care Task force recognized that wellness indicators.
any improvements in the child care system must

CONCLUSION:
F rom the conception of the Task Force in 2018 and the publishing of the Task Force recommendations in
2021, the momentum has continued to build to make child care a priority. The Task Force developed a
comprehensive plan to make quality child care affordable and accessible for all New Yorkers. New York State
has a tremendous responsibility to invest in the child care workforce to continue the gains we have made in
expanding access. New York State took a monumental step in 2018 when it convened the Child Care Availabil-
ity Task Force. The first Task Force emerged with a visionary report in 2021, calling not just for an expansion of
the current system, but for New York to transform its system and move toward one that is sustainable, equita-
ble, and universal. It was understood at the time the first report was released that there remained much more
work to be done. The Task Force members understood that to move New York toward its goals would require
a carefully crafted, strategically developed plan to phase-in universal child care. Without such a plan, ill-timed
or inappropriately sequenced expansion could actually cause inadvertent harms to the fragile system and to
the families that rely on child care.
This broad understanding led New York leaders to quickly pass a law to reconvene the Task Force and to in-
clude among its responsibilities the development of a phased-in rollout of universal child care. It is this charge
that remains to be met.
It is therefore with great excitement, and a strong sense of determination, that the Task Force will devote 2024
to carrying out this charge.
CHILD CARE AVAILABILIT Y TASK F O R CE | 2 0

APPENDIX A: Child Care Availability Task Force
Enabling Legislation
Social Services Law § 390-k41 (i) the office of temporary and disability assistance;
(ii) the council on children and families;
1. There shall be established within the office of chil-
(iii) the department of taxation and finance;
dren and family services a child care task force for
the purpose of evaluating the need for and availabili- (iv) a regional economic development council;
ty of child care throughout the state. (v) the state university of New York or the city
2. The task force shall be chaired by a representative university of New York;
of the executive chamber and the commissioners (vi) the state education department;
of the office of children and family services and the (vii) the early childhood advisory council;
department of labor, or their designees. Members of (viii) a social service district or county govern-
the task force shall serve without compensation for ment or an entity that advocates on behalf of
three-year terms but may be reimbursed for actual social services or county governments; and
costs incurred for participation on such task force. (ix) a non-profit child care advocacy organization.
Ensuring adequate geographic, racial and ethnic
representation, members of the task force shall be 3. The task force shall:
appointed by the governor and comprised as follows:
(a) examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
(a) four individuals shall be appointed upon the on child care in New York state;
recommendation of the speaker of the assembly, (b) advise the state in developing an implementa-
at least one of whom shall be a parent who has tion framework leading to a phased-in roll-out of
utilized subsidized child care and at least one of universal child care using existing state and federal
whom shall be a parent who has utilized unsubsi- resources;
dized child care, from different regions of the state; (c) recommend potential solutions, partnerships, or
(b) four individuals shall be appointed upon the other ways to address chronic child care workforce
recommendation of the temporary president of the issues and other concerns identified in the course
senate, at least one of whom shall be a parent who of the examination required by this subdivision;
has utilized subsidized child care and at least one (d) assess the implementation of policies support-
of whom shall be a parent who has utilized unsub- ed by federally funded programs through various
sidized child care, from different regions of the stimulus packages; and
state; (e) anything else the task force deems necessary.
(c) one individual shall be appointed upon the recom-
mendation of the minority leader of the assembly; 4. (a) The task force shall report its interim findings
(d) one individual shall be appointed upon the rec- and recommendations in accordance with subdivi-
ommendation of the minority leader of the senate; sion three of this section to the governor, the speak-
er of the assembly and the temporary president of
(e) two representatives of a child care resource and
the senate no later than November first, two thou-
referral agency;
sand twenty-two and its final findings and recom-
(f) a minimum of three and a maximum of four rep- mendations no later than December thirty-first, two
resentatives of home-based child care providers;
thousand twenty-three.
(g) a minimum of three and a maximum of four rep-
(b) The taskforce shall also report on the implemen-
resentatives of center-based child care providers;
tation of any recommendations that resulted from
(h) two representatives from the business community; the initial report required to be produced by the task
(i) two representatives from unions that represent force pursuant to subdivision four of chapter four
child care providers; and hundred ninety-three of the laws of two thousand
(j) at least one representative from each of the seventeen. Such additional report shall be provided
following entities: annually, beginning July first two thousand twen-
ty-two.
C HILD CARE AVAILABILIT Y TASK F O R CE | 2 1

APPENDIX B: Members of the New York State
Child Care Availability Task Force
SUZANNE MILES-GUSTAVE TARA GARDNER
Task Force Co-Chair Executive Director
Former Acting Commissioner Day Care Council of New York
NYS Office of Children and Family Services
MATT GOKEY
ROBERTA REARDON Policy Analyst
Task Force Co-Chair NYS Department of Taxation and Finance
Commissioner
New York State Department of Labor REBECCA GONZALEZ
Owner
EMILY MEYER Time to Learn Daycare
Assistant Secretary to the Governor for
Human Services & Mental Hygiene TENIELLE GONZALEZ
Executive Chamber Representative Owner
Little Peeps Childcare, LLC
FRED ACURI
Manager of Community Development KATHY HALAS
Corning, Incorporated Community Executive Director
Engagement Office Child Care Council of Westchester, Inc.
DONA ANDERSON TIM HATHAWAY

Executive Director Executive Director
New York Early Childhood Professional Prevent Child Abuse New York
Development Institute DOROTHY (DEDE) HILL
HEIDI BRANDT Director of Policy
Chapter Representative Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy
CSEA/VOICE LOCAL 100A Ulster GLADYS JONES
DIA BRYANT Founder and CEO
Executive Director ECE on the Move
The Education Trust – New York PAMELA KARLIN
LAURA CATANO Director of Early Childhood Education
Parent Brooklyn Heights Synagogue
JESS DANNHAUSER KRISTEN KERR

Commissioner Executive Director
Administration for Children’s Services National Association of the Education of
Young Children
KATIE DOBIES
Regional Director GERALDINE LAYBOURNE
Maple Leaf Childcare Co-Founder
DAY ONE Early Learning Community
JAMIE FRANK
Associate Vice Chancellor for Policy Implementation SOFIA MADAO
State University of New York Owner
Main Street Children’s Academy
VALERIE FIGUEROA
Deputy Commissioner TIFFANY MALONE
NYS Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance Owner/Operator
ABC Learn and Play

ALICIA MARKS VONETTA RHODES
Owner Program Director
Marks of Excellence Childcare, Learning & Nurturing Niagara County Community College –
Child Development Center
LARRY MARX
CEO JENNIFER ROJAS
The Children’s Agenda Executive Director
Child Care Council of Suffolk, Inc.
YOLANDA MCBRIDE
Director of Public Policy ELIZABETH ROSA
Children’s Aid Commissioner of Education
President, University of the State of New York
LINIQUE MCCOY
Director SHERI L. SCAVONE
Discovery Pitstop Daycare Executive Director
Western New York Women’s Foundation
KELLY MCMAHON
CEO ELIZABETH (BETH) STARKS
Network for Youth Success Founder and Executive Director
Chautauqua Lake Child Care Center
MEREDITH MENZIES-CHIMENTO
Executive Director VANESSA THREATTE
Early Care And Learning Council Executive Director
NYS Council on Children and Families
SARAH G. MERRICK
Commissioner KELLY TOBIN
Department of Social Services – Economic Security, Executive Director
County of Onondaga YWCA of Cortland County
HEATHER MULLIGAN CAROLYN WIGGINS
President and CEO Executive Director
Business Council of the State of New York Fort George Community Services, Inc.
The work of the Task Force greatly benefited from the support of:
SARAH BERGER, NYS Department of Labor
ERIN CASSIDY, Office of Children and Family Services
JOY CONNOLLY, Office of Children and Family Services
CRYSTAL GRIFFITH, Business Council of the State of New York
EMILY KADAR, Executive Chamber
JENN O’CONNOR, The Education Trust - New York
YVONNE MARTINEZ, NYS Department of Labor
REBECCA STAHL, Office of Children and Family Services
ERIK SWEET, NYS Education Department
SHAKERA TEMS, Executive Chamber
ELIZABETH WOLKOMIR, NYC Administration for Children Services
NORA YATES, Office of Children and Family Services

APPENDIX C: Task Force Process and Meetings
T he Child Care Availability Task Force was first convened in December 2018. The New York State Social
Services Law was amended in 2021 to reconvene the task force. The new task force relaunched in March
2023 to continue the work to make quality child care affordable and accessible for all New Yorkers. This report
outlines the Task Force’s recommendations to achieve those goals.
The new task force was chaired by Suzanne Miles-Gustave, former Acting Commissioner of the New York
State Office of Children and Family Services, and Roberta Reardon, Commissioner of the Department of Labor.
Pursuant to Social Services Law § 390-k, the task force is charged with examining the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic, addressing the child care workforce crisis, and providing a framework to lead New York State to a
universal child care system.
Beginning in March 2023, the Task Force held full task force meetings and worked in smaller workgroups to
brainstorm solutions for New York State. The three workgroups focused on creating recommendations that
centered on the 1) child care workforce, 2) sustainability planning, and 3) universal child care. The recommen-
dations were constructed by the Task Force using a general consensus model.
The three workgroups were co-chaired by members of the Task Force.
• Meredith Menzies Chimento and Elizabeth (Liz) Wolkomir for the Sustainability Planning workgroup
• Tara Gardner and Elizabeth (Beth) Starks for the Workforce workgroup
• Jennifer Rojas and Dia Bryant for the Universal Child Care workgroup
Meeting Date Location

March 12, 2023 Full Task Force Albany, NY
May 2, 2023 Workforce Workgroup Virtual
May 3, 2023 Sustainability Planning Workgroup Virtual
May 4, 2023 Universal Child Care Workgroup Virtual
June 6, 2023 Workforce Workgroup Virtual
June 12, 2023 Sustainability Planning and Universal Workgroup Virtual
July 7, 2023 Workforce Workgroup Virtual
July 18, 2023 Universal Child Care Workgroup Virtual
July 21, 2023 Sustainability Planning Workgroup Virtual
July 24, 2023 Full Task Force Rensselaer, NY
August 17, 2023 Workforce Workgroup Virtual
August 18, 2023 Universal Child Care Workgroup Virtual
August 22, 2023 Sustainability Planning Workgroup Virtual
September 5, 2023 Sustainability Planning Workgroup Virtual
September 12, 2023 Workforce Workgroup Virtual
September 22, 2023 Universal Child Care Workgroup Virtual
October 4, 2023 Sustainability Planning Workgroup Virtual
October 5, 2023 Workforce Workgroup Virtual
October 11, 2023 Universal Child Care Workgroup Virtual
October 16, 2023 Full Task Force Rensselaer, NY
November 2, 2023 Full Task Force Virtual
December 11, 2023 Full Task Force Rensselaer, NY
Deadline for Writing Team’s Report: January 8, 2024
The NYS Child Care Availability Task Force was supported by a team of facilitators from The McLean Group,
which included Kathleen McLean, Khamali Brown, Rosalind Harris, Zoe O’Brey, and Chrissy Smith.

ENDNOTES
1
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment. (2020). Early Childhood Workforce Index 2020: New York.
https://cscce.berkeley.edu/workforce-index-2020/states/new-york/.
2
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment. (2020). Early Childhood Workforce Index 2020: New York.
https://cscce.berkeley.edu/workforce-index-2020/states/new-york/.
3
Gillispie, C., Codella, C., Merchen, A., Davis, J., Cappo, A. (2022, February). Equity in Child Care is Every-
one’s Business. The Education Trust and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
https://edtrust.org/resource/equity-in-child-care-is-everyones-business/.
4
New York State Department of Labor (2023). Child Care in New York State.
https://nysdolreports.com/gwg/2023-childcare/.
5
6
7
8
Child Care Availability Task Force (2021) Supporting Families, Employers & New York’s Future: An Action
Plan for a Strong and Equitable Child Care System. Final Report of the Child Care Availability Task Force.
https://ocfs.ny.gov/reports/childcare/Child-Care-Availability-Task-Force-Report.pdf.
9
N.Y. Exec Law § 296 (Effective 11/16/2024). Unlawful discriminatory practices.
https://casetext.com/statute/consolidated-laws-of-new-york/chapter-executive/article-15-human-rights-law/
section-296-effective-11162024-unlawful-discriminatory-practices.
10
Grunewald, R, (2022 January 5). What Drives the Cost of High Quality Early Care and Education? Federal
Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
https://www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2022/what-drives-the-cost-of-high-quality-early-care-and-education.
11
12
13
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2022, May). Occupational Employment and Wages, 39-9011 Child care Workers.
https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes399011.htm#(2).
14
Empire State Child Care. (2023, March). Staffing Shortages due to Low Wages Are Driving the Child Care
Crisis in New York. Schuyler Center.
https://www.empirestatechildcare.org/uploads/1/1/1/1/111173201/copy_of_march_2023_child_care_staffing_
shortage_survey_results_final.pdf.
15
Wilensky, R. Fortner A. and S. Small (2023, August). Understanding Federal COVID Child Care Relief Funds
in New York. The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP).
https://www.clasp.org/wp content/uploads/2023/08/2023.8.21_Understanding-Federal-COVID-Child-Care-
Relief-Funds-in-New-York.pdf.

16
Office of Child Care (n.d). New York ARP Child Care Stabilization Fact Sheet. Administration for Children
and Families.
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/occ/New_York_ARP_Child_Care_Stabilization_Fact_
Sheet.pdf.
17
18
19
Child Care Aware of America. (2022). Price of Care: 2022 Child Care Affordability Analysis.
https://info.childcareaware.org/hubfs/2022_CC_Afford_Analysis.pdf.
20
Shapiro, E. and A. Elkeurti. (2023). “How Soaring Child Care Costs are Crushing New Yorkers.” The New
York Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/11/nyregion/child-care-nyc.html.
21
Reilly, K. and B. Luscombe. (2020) “The Childcare Crisis.” TIME. https://time.com/child-care-crisis/.
22
U.S. Chamber of Commerce (2022, July 7). U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Bipatisan Policy
Center Launch New Partnership to Tackle America’s Child Care Crisis.
https://www.uschamber.com/workforce/u-s-chamber-of-commerce-foundation-and-bipartisan-policy-center-
launch-new-partnership-to-tackle-americas-child-care-crisis.
23
Office of Children and Family Services. (2020, January). Child Care Facts and Figures 2019.
https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/childcare/assets/docs/factsheets/2019-DCCS-Fact-Sheet.pdf.
24
https://www.ocfs.state.ny.us/programs/childcare/assets/docs/factsheets/2022-dccs-fact-sheet.pdf.
25
26
Office of Children and Family Services. (2023, February). Child Care Facts and Figures 2021.
27
28
29
30
Office of Children and Family Services. (2023, February). Child Care Facts and Figures 2023.
31
32
33

34
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment. (2023, January 9). Child Care Sector Jobs: BLS Analysis.
January 9, 2023. https://cscce.berkeley.edu/publications/brief/child-care-sector-jobs-bls-analysis/.
35
Mader, J. (2022, October 28). “Finding Child Care is Still Impossible for Many Parents.”
The Hechinger Report. https://hechingerreport.org/finding-child-care-is-still-impossible-for-many-parents/.
36
Mader, J. (2022, October 28). “Finding Child Care is Still Impossible for Many Parents.”
The Hechinger Report. https://hechingerreport.org/finding-child-care-is-still-impossible-for-many-parents/.
37
Child Care Availability Task Force (2021). Supporting Families, Employers & New York’s Future: An Action
Plan for a Strong and Equitable Child Care System. Final Report of the Child Care Availability Task Force.
https://ocfs.ny.gov/reports/childcare/Child-Care-Availability-Task-Force-Report.pdf.
38
Kristina Haynie. (2021, June 4). The Value of Shared Services. Child Care Aware of America.
https://info.childcareaware.org/blog/shared-services.
39
Kristina Haynie. (2021, June 4). The Value of Shared Services. Child Care Aware of America.
https://info.childcareaware.org/blog/shared-services.
40
N.Y. Exec Law § 296 (Effective 11/16/2024). Unlawful discriminatory practices.
https://casetext.com/statute/consolidated-laws-of-new-york/chapter-executive/article-15-human-rights-law/
section-296-effective-11162024-unlawful-discriminatory-practices.
41
NYS State Senate. (2022, March 4.) Section 390-K. Child care availability task force.
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/SOS/390-K.

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Making Child Care More

Affordable, Accessible and

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FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

N ew York State needs a universal child care

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We Recommend: workforce, either through the stabilization

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DONA ANDERSON TIM HATHAWAY

JESS DANNHAUSER KRISTEN KERR

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Meeting Date Location

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