By Hank Russell
A press conference with Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Zohran Mamdani was held on January 8 as they announced that universal childcare will be available to all children in New York State under five years old and free childcare to two-year-olds in New York City. While Hochul explained what the program entails, who will be eligible and how much the state will invest in these programs, she did not explain how it will be paid for.
Hochul announced that, as part of her State of the State, she proposed making Pre-K truly universal statewide, supporting other counties in building out new child care pilots that offer affordable care to families regardless of income, and expanding child care subsidies to tens of thousands of additional families.
Additionally, she will make a $1.7 billion investment to cover an additional 100,000 children. By 2027, the state will have invested $4.5 billion in childcare and prekindergarten services statewide.
Future plans also include providing Pre-K access to all four-year-olds in New York State by the 2028-29 school year and the launch of an Office of Child Care and Early Education, which will oversee and support roll out of universal Pre-K, continued investment in 3K, launch of 2-Care and other care options, expansion and improvement of vouchers, and ongoing support for the workforce.
“There’s one thing that every family in New York can agree on, the cost of childcare is simply too high,” Hochul said. “As New York’s first mom Governor, fighting for New York’s families has always been at the core of my agenda. Since taking office, I’ve put families front and center, fighting to make our state more affordable and laying the groundwork to deliver universal childcare. Today, I’m proud to partner with Mayor Mamdani and leaders across our state to make this a reality, turning that foundation into a concrete roadmap that will transform the lives of working parents and kids across our state.”
However, other than the state’s financial investments in these programs, Hochul did not say how these programs will be fully funded and who will pay for them. Long Island Life & Politics reached out to Hochul’s office, but did not hear back as of press time.
Chalkbeat reported that Mamdani could fund the universal and free childcare program — estimated to be $6 billion — by raising taxes on the top 1% of earners and large corporations. He said the additional taxes would raise $9 billion a year. However, Hochul initially said she would not raise taxes; also, Mamdani’s tax hike proposal would need approval from Albany.
Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) said the spending would blow a hole in the budget while the governor is viewing the statewide childcare plan through “rose-colored glasses.”
“I have always supported New York’s families, and I understand the financial strain childcare places on working parents,” said Ra, the ranking Republican member on the Assembly Ways and Means Committee. “But behind every major decision coming out of Albany, whether you agree with it or not, comes a price tag that will have to be sorted out in the state budget.”
According to Ra, the budget gap is currently $4.2 billion and is expected to soar to $26.8 billion over the next three years. “Without a clear plan focused on reforms, efficiencies, and reprioritizing existing spending, adding this large new level of spending will deepen future budget gaps, crowd out core services, and increase pressure for future tax hikes or fees.”
While he supports universal childcare, Nassau County Executive and GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman said city programs should not be bankrolled on the backs of Long Island and update New York taxpayers, whom he said are “a blank check for policies designed exclusively for New York City.”
“Universal child care and pre-K help parents stay in the workforce and give children a strong start, and I support making those programs available to working moms and dads across New York State,” Blakeman said. “What I do NOT support is an Albany scheme that asks suburban and upstate taxpayers to pay for a program which excludes their children.”
Blakeman also questioned how the proposal will be received by lawmakers whose districts would bear the financial burden without seeing equal returns.
“If universal child care is truly a priority for this administration, then it should be implemented fairly and statewide,” Blakeman said. “One New York means one system—where every family contributes and every family benefits. Anything less is an insult to hardworking taxpayers outside New York City.”