47 State Legislators Issue Joint Statement Outlining the need for a $5 Billion Investment in Child Care in the 2023 Fiscal Year Budget

ALBANY, NY— State Senator Jessica Ramos (D, WF-SD13) and 46 other legislators have issued a joint statement that outlines the missing pieces of the child care investments proposed in Governor Hochul's Executive Budget for the 2023 Fiscal Year. 

"There are steps the state can take immediately to lift some of the pressure off of families and providers that inexplicably were left out of the Executive Budget proposals. I join my colleagues to express to Governor Hochul, mother to mother, to take the seriousness of our child care crisis seriously. These priorities reflect a path forward and offer a solution that reflects the reality of the crisis families and providers are facing," said Senator Jessica Ramos.

Senator Ramos is the Senate Sponsor of The Early Learning Child Care Act (S.7615/A.8625). The legislation proposes a dedicated funding stream, implementing a 1% payroll tax on the top 5% highest-earning businesses in New York State, to expand access to fully-subsidized child care for families earning up to 400% of the federal poverty line (a household of 4 earning $106,000) and provides a sliding scale subsidy capped at 7% of a family’s income for families of 4 earning as much as $265,000 per year.

Highlights from the Early Learning Child Care Act:

• Reaches 93% of New Yorkers with subsidized child care for 0 to 3-year-olds, for 3 and 4-year-olds who are missed by the Pre-K system, and subsidized after-school care for 3 and 4-year-olds with a new, dedicated funding stream
• Eliminates the employment requirement to qualify for child care subsidies
• Creates an earning floor of $45,000 a year for child care providers, while also taking into account geographic cost-of-living and increases for specialized higher education
• Funds professional development and student loan forgiveness for child care providers
• Creates a task force to study after school for 5 to 12-year-olds and a path for 24-hour crisis child care

A proposed payroll tax to pay for childcare has also been included in the Black Hispanic Puerto Rican and Asian Caucus People's Budget. In comparison, the Executive Budget offers limited investments, only expanding eligibility to families making 225% of the Federal Poverty Line.

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