Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
How NY candidates for governor plan to address the childcare affordability crisis
By
Jimmy Vielkind
Published Oct 8, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Jimmy Vielkind/Gothamist
By
Jimmy Vielkind
Published Oct 8, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Taylor Loreman knows how important government subsidies are to making childcare work — the daycare center she runs in the Upstate New York town of Willsboro lost two families when an assistance program stopped during a budget crunch earlier this year.
One mother had to work from home for three months while also minding her child. Another family relied on relatives for part of the week. Loreman, who took over The Clubhouse Day Care Center in 2023, was suddenly faced with a revenue shortfall.
New York State of Unaffordability
WNYC and Gothamist are publishing a series of podcasts and articles on the race for governor ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3. Upstate public radio stations are contributing to the series through the New York Public Radio News Network.
Look for further coverage throughout October.
Previous installments:
- NY's prison system is in crisis. It's driving staff away from the job.
“If we make our rates go up any higher, it's going to be an even harder struggle on our parents, and then it's a harder struggle on us just keeping things afloat,” she said. “There are parents that are making okay money, but they're still not making it work.”
More than 1 million New Yorkers have left the state since 2010, in part because of the high cost of living. A new podcast series by WNYC and Gothamist called "New York State of Unaffordability" examines why.
The four-part series examines major economic hardships and highlights the different approaches of Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and her Republican challenger, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
One big squeeze for families is the cost of child care: an average of $35,000 for two children, according to the Empire State Campaign for Childcare, an advocacy group.
Hochul, who became governor in 2021 and is seeking a second full term, says she wants to put the state on the path to truly universal childcare. She partnered with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to fund slots for 2-year-olds, which allowed 2,000 kids to start care this fall.
An even bigger step was expanding the Child Care Assistance Program, or CCAP, which provides vouchers to families statewide who meet certain income requirements. Hochul raised the income thresholds to bring more people into the program. She increased the CCAP’s budget, but demand soon outstripped the available funding.
The shortfall caused problems at the Clubhouse and affected thousands of families across the state. The governor has spent the last several months trying to fix the problem.
“Whether you live in New York City or Buffalo, we're making sure that families get the affordable childcare that they need,” Hochul said Monday. “We're not going to stop until every single parent can get the care that they need and they can afford.”
Blakeman says subsidies should be reserved for working parents and has called universal childcare a waste of taxpayer money.
“I would give tax credits to people so it only went to working people who had tax returns who could prove that they're working, rather than giving it to people who want to cart their kids off to childcare, don't work, sit on the couch like a lazy-a-- and watch 'The View' every day,” he said in an interview for the podcast series.
The CCAP funding shortage placed nearly 30,000 families on a waitlist for care in New York City. Three dozen counties froze enrollment or stopped renewing approved families, forcing caregivers to change their work arrangements, dig deeper into their pockets, or scramble to find other care.
Empire State Campaign for Child Care Manager Shoshana Hershkowitz said the program was oversubscribed because Hochul expanded eligibility: a family of four earning up to $117,000 a year can sign up for vouchers, but didn’t commit enough funding to meet demand.
Jimmy Vielkind/Gothamist
The problem is more pronounced in rural areas like Willsboro, which sits between Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains, Hershkowitz said.
“In a more rural area, there is going to be more family childcare, fewer centers, and longer travel,” she said. “If you're in a place like in Essex County, you'll probably have more folks within the $117,000 [income threshold] than you will in Suffolk County, where I am. But those families' needs are all still the same.”
Hochul has increased funding for CCAP this year by $3 billion. Families are moving off the city’s waitlist, and 17 counties that froze enrollment over the last 12 months have recently started approving vouchers again.
Blakeman said the hiccups show that the program should be more targeted and better administered. He hasn’t offered a specific counter-proposal.
Loreman, in Willsboro, said the benefits of high-quality child development care are worth public investment.
“We should be funded just like a school is,” she said. “We are truly teaching children every basic life skill, plus learning how to share.”
Tagged
education
new york
Jimmy Vielkind
Jimmy Vielkind covers how state government and politics affect people throughout New York. He has covered Albany since 2008, most recently as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal. Jimmy led a team of reporters that won a New York Press Club award for coverage of Andrew Cuomo’s downfall and was on a team that won a Gerald Loeb Award for coverage of Amazon’s HQ2 process. A native of the Capitol Region, Jimmy has two degrees in urban planning. His position is funded by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Reach Jimmy at [email protected].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NJ Gov. Sherrill: Election is secure, noncitizens taken off voter rolls
The governor made the comments in the October edition of "Ask Governor Sherrill" on WNYC.
By
Michael Sol Warren
Published Oct 27, 2026 at 7:42 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 27, 2026 at 11:14 p.m. ET
Ex-NYPD officer again faces murder charge in George Washington Bridge shooting
The charge against him was upgraded following an “extensive investigation,” the DA’s office said.
By
Samantha Max
News
Ex-NYPD officer again faces murder charge in George Washington Bridge shooting
The charge against him was upgraded following an “extensive investigation,” the DA’s office said.
By
Samantha Max
Former NYC buildings boss helped reopen mayor's favored restaurant despite health violations
By
David Brand
1 killed, 4 others injured at Elizabeth, NJ vigil shooting
By
Catalina Gonella
Police arrest man in Queens stabbings that ended with officer shooting woman
By
Ryan Kost
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .