High quality early care and education (referred to as child care) is essential to children’s healthy development and plays a fundamental role in supporting the economic stability and mobility of working parents and caregivers. However, child care costs are burdensome and unaffordable for most families with young children in New York City. Even families with children enrolled in public 3-K and Pre-K programs will need to find supplemental child care when they are enrolled in programs that take place during the school day and school year only, rather than extended day, year round programs.

CCC’s analysis examined data from the US Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey for estimates of median family incomes and, the Child Care Market Rate Survey Report from the New York State Office of Children and Families for data on child care costs. The findings show:

• A family with one child under the age of five might spend between 14% and 41% of their income on child care alone, depending on household income.
• Among all families with young children citywide, only 11% of ALL families can afford center-based child care for one infant or toddler, and only 14% can afford child care for one preschool age child in center-based child care settings.
• In less expensive home-based child care settings, more families in the city can afford care, but still more than 80% of families would NOT be able to afford child care for one infant or toddler, or one preschooler.

Detailed data is available on CCC’s database, Keeping Track Online, for: Infant/Toddler Care Cost Burden, Preschool Child Care Cost Burden, Infant/Toddler Child Care Affordability, and  Preschool Child Care Affordability by geographies and household types.