On Monday, March 2, Policy Associate Jenny Veloz submitted testimony on behalf of CCC for an Oversight Hearing on The Path to Universal Child Care held by the NYC Council Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education. The testimony highlights the barriers NYC families currently face in accessing child care, including cost, lack knowledge of existing programs, and misalignment on need and work schedules. Additionally, the provider workforce and child care voucher program need increased investment to truly support families in an equitable way. CCC offers thoughtful recommendations on various steps city leaders must take to ensure a pathway to true universality. 

Read the testimony below. 

Testimony of Jenny Veloz
Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York
Submitted to New York City Council Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education Oversight Hearing on The Path to Universal Child Care
March 2, 2026

For over 80 years, Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York (CCC) has been an independent voice for children advancing child and family well-being through research, advocacy, and civic engagement. With deep expertise in data, policy and child-serving systems, CCC champions proven solutions and mobilizes allies to secure reforms that improve child outcomes and promote equity. CCC drives systems change to ensure every child is healthy, housed, educated, and safe.

We would like to thank Chair Gutierrez and all the members of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education for holding today’s hearing on the Path to Universal Child Care.

New funding from the City and State to strengthen 3-K and pilot 2-K programs offers an enormous opportunity to reach more families with the care they need. As New York continues its path towards universality, City leaders must continue to address systemic challenges facing the ECE system. We urge city leaders to continue using data on child and family needs – particularly those with the greatest need of early care – to inform how the city delivers and expands its ECE services.

Meeting the Needs of All Families

Households across the city face an affordability crisis, with 80% of all family households unable to find affordable care. In 2024, the average cost of care was $26,000 for center-based care and $18,200 for home-based care.[i] Families are spending an average of 43% on center-based care and 36 % on home-based care.[ii] In some communities, families spend up to 63 % of their income on child care, preschool or afterschool care alone.[iii]

We know from extensive engagement with and surveying of NYC families and communities that the demand for affordable childcare is enormous across the city, and that open seats are a reflection of barriers in access rather than lack of demand. CCC’s 2023 report, The Youngest New Yorkers, includes findings from a citywide survey and focus groups with parents and providers. Many of the key findings resonate as much today as they did then: families face significant barriers to ECE access, lack knowledge of existing programs, and find that available options do not match their needs and work schedules.

The majority of ECE options in New York City are school-day, school-year, only affording families care for 6 hours and 20 minutes each day. For most working parents, this schedule does not meet their needs, forcing too many caregivers to leave the workforce or shift to part-time work. These decisions have serious financial implications for families, and disproportionately harm the financial security of single mothers forced to leave the workforce. New York must not only expand extended-day, extended-year options for current seats, but also ensure new care expansions meet the needs of working caregivers.

CCC believes it is critical to approach a path to universal childcare with a focus on those most marginalized by our existing system – including children with disabilities, immigrant families, and families experiencing housing instability or homelessness. For too long, children with disabilities have been left behind in the city’s efforts to expand access to care. At the end of May 2025, more than 7,000 preschoolers with disabilities were waiting for one or more of their services in New York City.[iv] We were grateful that the FY27 Preliminary Budget baselined $70 million for preschool special education services, evaluations and staffing. This will be critical for reducing waitlists for services, which are currently in violation of the legal rights of children with disabilities.

However, we urge the Administration and the Council to ensure the needs of children with disabilities are prioritized in the City’s current and future ECE programs. This includes thoughtfully integrating EI services and EI providers into new 2-K expansion sites. More generally, CCC urges the administration to lean on data to ensure expansion efforts prioritize children who face the most risks and barriers.

Preserving Child Care Voucher Access

In recent years, New York City and other counties have used Child Care Block Grant (CCBG) funds to significantly expand the number of children receiving child care assistance.  CCBG funds are used to provide child care assistance to families on cash assistance; contracted child care for children 0-2 years old and 3-and 4-year-olds in extended day/year; and child care vouchers for low-income families engaged in work, training or other qualified activities. Last year, the City’s Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) projected a funding shortfall for families applying for child care vouchers through the state’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). Despite the state allocating $350 million in one-time funding to address this shortfall, thousands of New York City children were placed on waitlists.

Although Governor Hochul increased investment in CCAP in her FY27 Executive Budget, including $475 million in one-time funding for New York City, it will not be enough to clear the approximately 16,000 children currently on these waitlists as of January 2026.[v] Families on waitlists will have to make difficult decisions to ensure that their children are taken care of, whether that is relying on family members to fill the gap or leaving their jobs or putting additional economic strain on already struggling households. The Administration must work with the State to eliminate the voucher waitlist.

Sustaining New York’s ECE System through Equitable Pay

One of the greatest threats facing the sustainability of New York’s ECE system are long-standing inequities in compensation for the child care workforce. Teachers, staff, directors, and providers in both center and home-based programs are the backbone of the ECE system. 96% of child care workers are women, and about 82% are women of color.[vi] Child care workers, as well as the 3-K and Pre-K community-based workforce, are some of the lowest paid employees in New York City. They are often paid less than their counterparts in public schools, resulting in high turnover and staff shortages as they seek higher paying jobs in the public school system.

As part of this community-based network, Family Child Care Centers (FCCs) play an invaluable role. Families often look to FCCs as an option because many share the same cultural and linguistic backgrounds. However, FCC providers earn less than minimum wage, even before considering the additional 21 hours per week the average provider spends cooking, cleaning, preparing lesson plans, and completing paperwork.[vii] Because of low pay rates and long hours, many FCCs are unable to support themselves, relying on public assistance or SNAP benefits. Some FCCs have been forced to close their businesses, leaving families without a vital infrastructure in their communities.

Unless there is commitment to pay parity between public school ECE employees and contracted and independent providers, the stability of the system and the path to universal care will be at risk. City leaders must also address chronic payment delays in the contracted system. Oftentimes, providers waiting for payment are forced to take out personal loans in order to pay rent, utilities, and their staff.

Recommendations

To continue the path to universality, the City should implement the following recommendations:

• Maintain and baseline funding that was funded for one year only in the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget, including by:
  • Baselining $5 million for ECE outreach, ensuring families are receiving the information they need to make informed decisions regarding ECE programs
  • Increasing and baselining funding for Promise NYC
  • Baselining $10 million for Infant and Toddler Child Care pilot expanding child care access to families with children 0-2 years old in high need neighborhoods
• Create pay parity for the ECE workforce, including by:
  • Expediting payments of collectively bargained salary increases,
  • Bringing salaries and benefits in contracted ECE programs to parity with their counterparts in public schools,
  • Adjusting rates in home-based programs to allow providers to earn salaries at parity with public school salaries, and
  • Instituting longevity differentials for ECE workforce in line with comparable roles in public schools
• Prioritize those most marginalized by our existing ECE system, including children with disabilities, immigrant families, and families in shelter or other temporary housing.
  • Ensure that staff at community-based preschool special education programs are included in the recent labor contract agreement enhancements
  • Ensure Early Intervention and developmental supports are thoughtfully integrated in the City’s 2-K expansion.
• Continue working with the State to ensure sufficient funding for child care vouchers and prepare to address shortfalls with city funding.
• Continue to convert school-day, school year seats to extended day, year round ECE seats to increase options for families with young children
• Strengthen the Family Child Care workforce by implementing funding and administrative reforms, recognizing that the FCC workforce is the backbone of infant and toddler care
• Allow for providers to directly enroll participants in ECE programs to streamline the process and allow more direct access to service
• Strengthen the care system for all children by strengthening access to afterschool and summer programs for children age 6-12.

We thank the City Council for convening this hearing and allowing advocates, providers, and stakeholders space to express concerns and allow for dialogue as we proceed towards the path to universal care. Thank you for your time and we look forward to working with you to ensure New York City’s children are getting the early care and education they deserve.

[i] NYC Office of Comptroller (January 2025). Child Care Affordability and the Benefits of Universal Provision. https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/child-care-affordability-and-the-benefits-of-universal-provision/

[ii] NYC Office of Comptroller (January 2025). Child Care Affordability and the Benefits of Universal Provision. https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/child-care-affordability-and-the-benefits-of-universal-provision/

[iii] Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York (2023). CCC Brief: From Birth to Age 12. The (Un)Affordability of Child Care and Out-of-School Care in New York City. Accessed: https://cccnewyork.org/data-publications/from- birth-to-age-12- child-care-and-out-of-school-care/

[iv] AMNY (July 2025). “With new funding, advocates and City Council seek greater support for preschoolers with disabilities.” https://www.amny.com/news/new-funding-advocates-city-council-seek-support-preschoolers-disabilities/

[v] Gothamist (January 2026). “Universal child care may be coming to NYC, but 16,000 kids are stuck waiting for aid.” https://gothamist.com/news/universal-child-care-may-be-coming-to-nyc-but-16000-kids-are-stuck-waiting-for-aid

[vi] Day Care Council of New York (2025). Building a Stronger Child Care Workforce for New York City. https://www.dccnyinc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Workforce-Report-7sm.pdf

[vii] Center for New York City Affairs (2025). Dignified Pay for Quality Care: What New York’s Family Child Care Providers Need to Thrive. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/53ee4f0be4b015b9c3690d84/t/69558195819b30409e21b29e/1767211413243/Dignified+Pay+for+Quality+Care-+Summary.pdf