Sen. Gounardes to Gothamist: "Universal Child Care is Overwhelmingly Popular”
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As families continue to flee New York City over child care costs, a parent-led advocacy group is releasing a five-year proposal calling for free statewide universal child care for children as young as six weeks old.
But the ambitious proposal released on Tuesday by New Yorkers United for Child Care — a year-old coalition of parents that rose to prominence opposing Mayor Eric Adams’ plans to scale back an expansion of 3-K — comes with significant challenges.
The group, which is supported by several city and state lawmakers, estimates a $12.7 billion annual cost, adding about 5% to the state's current budget. It proposes funding the plan with some combination of a capital-gains tax, corporate tax or high-income earners tax, and argues that the return on investment would be an economic boon for New York.
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, a Democrat who supports the plan, said that although universal child care is “overwhelmingly popular” with constituents, it's historically been difficult for lawmakers to get into the budget.
“A lot of people in government who either don't have kids themselves or who had kids a long time ago don't fully appreciate just how difficult it is today, in this moment, 2024, for a working family to afford both housing and child care," Gounardes said.
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