Advocates push 5-year free universal childcare plan

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — A five-year plan to give New Yorkers universal public childcare (UPC) could ease financial burdens on families and boost the state's economy. The plan offers free child care to all families, from birth to age 5, with full-day services and flexible hours.

The plan comes from the downstate advocacy group New Yorkers United for Child Care. They held a press conference on November 19 to release a five-year roadmap for phasing in the program:

• Year 1: Free care for ages 3 and up in New York City, expanding preschool access statewide
• Year 2: Free preschool for ages 3 and up, expanding to 2-year-olds
• Years 3 and 4: Free care for children 6 weeks to 2 years old
• Year 5: Full access for all children under 5

State Senators Jabari Brisport, Zellnor Myrie, and Jessica Ramos, and Assemblymembers Zohran Mamdani, Tony Simone, and Michaelle Solages appeared at the press conference to back the plan. The video at the top of this story from New Yorkers United for Child Care features remarks by Myrie and Ramos. You can also read the full 79-page proposal at the bottom of this story.

The program should pay for itself, according to supporters, with every dollar spent seeing a return on investment of $10 to $13. They project that it would cost around $12.7 billion annually, potentially saving as much as $600 million per year across all families.

All told, New Yorkers today spend about $14 billion every year on care for kids under 5. In New York City, childcare takes up 25% of household income, while families in the rest of the state spend about 18%. In some cases, it's already enough to outpace rent or college tuition, but some families face costs twice as high.

Check out the breakdown below of the costs they've tallied for one- and two-child families before kindergarten:

Mixed care means that families rely on both on-site afterschool programs for their older kids and at-home care for the younger ones. New Yorkers United for Child Care said that being unable to care for children at home adds $20,800 in the city and $14,040 elsewhere in the state.

The UPC plan would offer free, full-day supervision through kindergarten. Child care centers would be installed no more than 15 minutes away, and applications would only ask for proof of age and address. They would operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with options for nontraditional hours.

Although a Cornell poll found that 79% of New Yorkers would support UPC, the $14 billion price tag nonetheless inspires significant sticker shock. The UPC proposal theorizes that progressive tax rates on top earners—along with higher capital gains and corporate taxes—would generate some $40 billion annually.

The proposal also points out that New York already spends billions managing eligibility for education and infrastructure instead of funding direct care. UPC would cut administrative costs by streamlining oversight. Shifting the expense from individuals to the state would also support the state's bottom line, according to the proposal, because free childcare would keep families from seeking out greener pastures while drawing in new families from across state lines.

High childcare costs drive 40% of families with young children out of New York. In 2022, New York City lost $23 billion in economic activity as parents left jobs or reduced hours, according to the proposal, and statewide gaps in care cost almost $10 billion in lost earnings and productivity. But affordable childcare could close that gap.

UPC could also close the gender gap by bringing mothers back to full-time work. The proposal expands paid family leave to six months, reducing the demand for care. Flexible hours would also open up the employment pool to overnight or late-night industries like retail or hospitality. This keeps New Yorkers in the workforce, keeps businesses staffed, and maintains the tax base for local cities, towns, and villages.

Women of color who rely on public assistance are the majority of providers, and the industry struggles with high operating costs, low wages, and short staffing. From 2015 to 2023, New York lost 2,500 licensed childcare providers, according to the proposal. The UPC proposal includes training, better wages, and grants to support underserved areas.

While 69% of 4-year-olds statewide have pre-K, many regions outside New York City lack the resources to expand services. State offerings like the Child Care Assistance Program try to make it affordable to raise your kids in New York, but only 10% of eligible children under 5 currently receive subsidies.

UPC would target families with the greatest need, focusing on children with disabilities and non-English speakers. It would serve over 660,000 children, advocates say, especially in rural areas and smaller districts that struggle with childcare.

Legislators have already proposed bills in the State Senate and Assembly to expand childcare access and better subsidize childcare. You can read about the Universal Child Care Act (S3245) and the Early Learning Child Care Act (A8852A) on the New York Senate website, and take a look at the complete roadmap below: