Jamestown Community College

Governor Kathy Hochul announced $10.8 million to address child care deserts across SUNY campuses. This is the second phase of a broader initiative to ensure that students, faculty and staff on all SUNY campuses have access to high-quality child care centers.

JCC is one of six campuses that are included in $7.6 million of funding for expanded on-site child care services. At some State University of New York campuses, about 80 percent of students with dependents reported that they had trouble meeting their child care needs.

During the 2021-2022 academic year, the State University of New York served 650 student-parents with about 4,500 child care spots across the 46 SUNY campuses that have an onsite child care center. With the additional centers, another 350 child care spots will become available. The centers also serve faculty, staff and state employees, as well as the neighboring community — each utilizing about a third of total child care spots.

Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Dan Heitzenrater and Rep. Joe Sempolinski (September 23, 2022)

Congressman Joe Sempolinski answered questions about education, child care, workforce development and more at the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce Congressional breakfast Friday morning.

Sempolinski, addressing a crowd of about 50 people, said he considers the Education and Labor Committee he’s been appointed to one of the most important committees. He also serves on the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education subcommittee.

On the topic of what the federal government can do to help students who are two to three years behind after the Pandemic, Sempolinski said it’s something all of society needs to on work together, “Whether it’s the federal government setting broad policy. Obviously, much of what happens in education is a state and local issue which is where it should be, frankly, constitutionally. That should be in the province of the state of New York and the other states and, most importantly, with the parents, and with the local officials on the ground. Those are who should be taking the lead on education but it’s something we all need to work on together to make sure we don’t leave behind an entire generation.”

Sempolinski said when it comes to child care, that the federal government should do things within its purview that have a good return on investment, “What we’re talking about here is people trying to do the right thing, right? They’re trying to go work. They’re trying to come into one of your businesses and be a productive employee and maybe what’s holding them back is that they have some sort of childcare issue or other issue at home. All right, maybe that’s something where we can, as the government, as the society, help those folks out because then they’re going to be working. They’re going to be paying taxes. They’re going to be a productive member of society.”

Sempolinski said more emphasis needs to be put on the skilled trades when it comes to addressing workforce development issues, “And I’m not saying four-year college is bad. I went to four-year college. That’s fine if that’s what you have a passion for. But if you’re someone who has a passion for something a little more tangible that’s going to lead directly to a job, then let’s encourage that. Let’s get people the skills they need. And also we need to coordinate between the educational institutions, whether it’s the BOCES programs, or the community college programs, and employers.”

He added there are community colleges working with manufacturers on what skill sets are needed, resulting in students being able to enter the workforce in those kinds of jobs.

Governor Kathy Hochul announces new child care assistance eligibility (August 30, 2022)

Nearly 400,000 children in New York State are newly eligible for child care assistance.

Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand launched a statewide campaign Tuesday to ensure eligible families access expanded child care assistance.

Eligibility was expanded this month in New York State to include families earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level, which is up from 200%. A family of four earning up to $83,250 is now eligible for child care assistance when previously, the threshold was $55,500 or less.

Families can learn more by visiting OCFS.ny.gov/ccap.

Hochul also announced expanded eligibility for a second round of federally funded Child Care Provider Stabilization grants. As of Tuesday, all school-age child care programs and more than 900 providers that were licensed by January 1, 2022 can apply for these grants.

Eligible providers can access more information at https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/childcare/ccap/

Governor Kathy Hochul reads to children on Long Island

Governor Kathy Hochul is highlighting a $125 million investment in early childhood education as part of the 2023 state budget.

The enacted budget uses the investment to expand access to full-day pre-K for four-year-old children, creating approximately 17,500 additional pre-K seats statewide. Of this $125 million, $100 million was allocated by formula and $25 million will be awarded through a competitive process administered by the State Education Department.

In addition to a significant expansion of pre-K seats, the budget includes a historic investment in child care. The budget more than doubles the State’s investment in child care with $7 billion in funding over four years. The income eligibility for subsidies is increased from 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level to 300 percent, expanding access to more than half of young children in New York.

The budget also expands access to high quality child care by increasing the child care market rate to include 80 percent of providers, broadening the child care options available to subsidy families while also increasing reimbursements for child care providers. The budget also includes $343 million to support the child care workforce by providing stabilization grants to providers, with 75 percent of those grants dedicated to workforce supports, including wage increases, bonuses, tuition reimbursement, and contributions to staff retirement plans and health insurance costs. The budget also includes $50 million in capital grants for child care providers to construct, rehabilitate or renovate child care facilities, further enhancing programs that serve children and their families.

The pre-K and child care investments complement a record level of school funding in the budget. The budget provides $31.5 billion in total School Aid for school year 2023, the highest level of State aid ever. This investment represents a year-to-year increase of $2.1 billion, or 7.2 percent, compared to school year 2022, including a $1.5 billion or 7.7 percent Foundation Aid increase, representing the second year of Governor Hochul’s three-year commitment to fully fund Foundation Aid.

Governor Kathy Hochul

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the largest investment in child care subsidies in New York State history will be distributed.

New York State will distribute $2 billion to increase the number of families receiving child care financial assistance and the amount child care providers are paid for their essential services.

The $2 billion in childcare subsidies includes $894 million in New York State Child Care Block Grant new funding passed in the recent State Budget and more than $600 million in existing COVID-19 pandemic funding.

As part of the Governor’s unprecedented commitment of $7 billion to child care over the next four years, these investments provide families with much-needed support, while also furthering New York’s economic recovery.

Earlier in April, the Governor announced major investments in child care among the highlights of the state budget, doubling New York’s support for child care subsidies.

SUNY Fredonia

Governor Kathy Hochul announced the initiative, which includes the distribution of $4.5 million in federal and state funding. The monies will support current centers, a program to train the next generation of child care professionals, and the development of a long-term plan to achieve the Governor’s State of the State goal to eliminate child care deserts across SUNY. The Governor’s Executive Budget includes $10.8 million to support the creation of additional child care centers on SUNY campuses.

During the 2020-2021 academic year, SUNY served 1,200 student parents with more than 4,000 child care spots across the 46 SUNY campuses that have a child care center onsite. The centers also serve faculty, staff, and state employees, as well as the neighboring community – each utilizing about a third of total child care spots. 18 more centers are currently needed to fully cover all 64 of SUNY’s campuses statewide.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

WASHINGTON – A recent report has New York State ranked last in the country when it comes to the cost of child care, and that hasn’t gone unnoticed by elected officials in Washington.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand had planned to make several stops in Western New York Monday to highlight new bi-partisan legislation that she claims will ease the burden of sky-high child care costs for working families.

New York’s junior senator will be in Syracuse and Rochester Monday  to join with working parents and child care advocates to announce legislation that would change the federal tax system and, as a result, make child care more affordable and accessible for working parents and families. The senator had also planned an appearance in Buffalo but was forced to cancel due to inclement weather.

To help low-income and middle class families save more on quality child care, Senator Gillibrand will push to more than double the federal child care tax credit, create a new tax deduction for working families, and increase pre-tax savings accounts for child care expenses.

According to the recent report by Child Care Aware, the average Western New York family now spends up to $10,365 per year for an infant. That means New York is ranked as the least affordable state in the nation for child care.