Governor Kathy Hochul today, alongside U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand at the Club Fed Child Care Center in Albany, launched ny.gov/childcare – a digital portal to help make free or low-cost child care more accessible to eligible families statewide through New York State’s Child Care Assistance Program. This new initiative follows on the historic $1.8 billion state and federal investment in Child Care Assistance Program secured by Governor Hochul in the FY25 Enacted Budget.
“We’re making New York more affordable and strengthening our economy by delivering free and low-cost child care to more families statewide, and making it easier for families to apply for this funding online,” said Governor Hochul. “As the first mom governor of New York, I understand the challenges of child care firsthand and I look forward to seeing this transformative program reach more parents and kids across our state.”
The state’s new digital portal makes it easier for families statewide to apply for Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which covers at least 90 percent of weekly market rate child care costs for most eligible families. That means most eligible families of four will pay no more than $15 per week – saving families thousands of dollars in annual child care costs.
CCAP is already providing free or low-cost child care to approximately 100,000 families statewide. However, state officials estimate that hundreds of thousands more families statewide are likely eligible for CCAP and Governor Hochul encourages New Yorkers to apply.
CCAP is a state program that helps working families across New York pay for child care. While eligibility is based on multiple factors including income and family size, many families may qualify for CCAP if their household income is at or below 85 percent of the State Median Income. Currently, 85 percent of the State Median Income for a family of four is approximately $108,000.
Previously, only families in New York City and Schenectady were able to apply for CCAP online, while most other families across the state had to apply by filling out a paper form. The launch of the state’s new digital portal ensures that families statewide can easily find out if they are eligible, apply online and access free or low-cost child care if eligible. This will help CCAP reach as many families as possible among the hundreds of thousands of families who may be eligible across the state.
The new digital portal is overseen by the New York Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). Families can use an online tool on that page to pre-screen for eligibility and then immediately apply for child care assistance, removing any redundant processes and unnecessary reporting requirements placed on families.
The new digital portal will serve families outside of New York City and Schenectady County. Eligible families residing in New York City must apply for CCAP through the MyCity portal. Eligible families residing in Schenectady must apply for CCAP through the Schenectady County portal. If any families in those areas attempt to apply through the State’s new digital portal, they will simply be redirected to the appropriate portal serving their area.
CCAP is administered by local social services districts and overseen by OCFS. As part of this launch, OCFS is also collaborating with numerous stakeholder organizations to distribute information about CCAP statewide to families, including new parents, and encouraging families to apply.
OCFS Commissioner Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden said, “We are excited to partner with the Governor and our local social services districts to implement this new initiative, which will remove barriers for families seeking to apply for child care assistance. The new, online portal will streamline the application process, offer easier access to the program, and put more families on the path to getting affordable, quality child care. More New York families than ever before are eligible for child care assistance now that the income threshold is up to $108,631.70 for a family of four at 85% of the state median income.”
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said, “With the launch of this new digital portal, New York is taking an important step toward making affordable child care more accessible to families across the state. Improving access to affordable child care is how we strengthen our workforce, help our economy grow, and invest in our future. It’s why I fought to secure $1 billion in the upcoming federal budget for childcare and led the introduction of the Child Care Stabilization Act. Governor Hochul is doing great work to make it easier for families across NY to access free and low-cost child care and I will continue to work with her and fight for affordable child care for all.”
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, “Every family deserves to have easy access to reliable, free or low-cost child care without having to jump through unnecessary hoops,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The new online portal for the Child Care Assistance Program will be a transformative tool for parents across the state and will expand child care to families in need. I am proud to join Governor Hochul for this historic announcement and commend her commitment to expanding child care across the state. Making sure families have affordable, easy access to child care is critical, and that’s why I’ll continue to fight at the federal level to expand child care access in New York and across the country.”
Representative Joe Morelle said, “Increasing the accessibility of affordable childcare is critically important to supporting our families and growing a strong economy and workforce. The Child Care Assistance Program is already helping so many families across New York State, and this new investment will ensure the program can reach even more. I’m grateful to Governor Hochul for her leadership on this important issue, and I’m going to keep fighting in Washington to make universal childcare a reality for every family.”
State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “The Senate Majority has proudly fought to make child care more affordable for working families, including expanding the child care assistance program to expand income eligibility, making more families eligible for the program, and supporting families with the greatest need. The launch of the child care digital portal will serve as a great resource for families searching for open child care slots. I'd like to thank Governor Hochul for her partnership in continuing to increase child care access for families across our state.”
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said, “Families need safe, affordable childcare they can rely on, but too many struggle to find it. This will connect more New Yorkers with the free and low-cost childcare they need. Our state succeeds when our families are thriving, and we will continue working together with our partners in government to make our state a more affordable place to live and put New York families first.”
The FY25 Enacted Budget continues Governor Hochul’s historic $7 billion investment over four years to expand access to child care and improve affordability for families across New York. In addition to $1.8 billion to support CCAP, other investments include $5 million to fund a Family Child Care Networks pilot offering support and coaching to home-based child care providers, and the establishment of differential payments for high-quality providers that meet criteria such as accreditation by nationally recognized child care organizations, and serving families experiencing homelessness and operate during non-traditional hours.