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Universal child care may be coming to NYC, but 16,000 kids are stuck waiting for aid
By
Karen Yi
Published Jan 28, 2026
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By
Karen Yi
Published Jan 28, 2026
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Nearly 16,000 New York City kids and their families are languishing on a ballooning waitlist for child care vouchers as the city runs out of cash to meet demand for the program, city numbers show.
Parents say they’ve cut back their work hours, are delaying returning to their jobs after parental leave, or are relying on other family members to fill the gaps. Providers say without parents who can afford care, they’re struggling to pay their bills, too.
“Parents are in crisis, providers and programs are in crisis because there isn't voucher funding to meet the needs of families now,” said Lauren Melodia, director of economic and fiscal policies at The Center for New York City Affairs at The New School.
The child care crisis is taking center stage as Mayor Zohran Mamdani vows to expand affordable care to more parents. While Gov. Kathy Hochul is promising additional money for the voucher program, advocates say the money won’t be enough to get everyone off the waitlist and are calling on the mayor to step in.
Mamdani hasn’t said whether he plans to increase city funding; his administration said it was reviewing the state’s proposed spending plan.
The Child Care Assistance Program program, which is largely funded by the state, offers parents subsidies for child care or after school for children up to age 13. Parents, who qualify based on income, pay no more than $15 a week. But the hugely popular program, which serves more than 100,000 children in New York City, has been a victim of its own success; more families are signing up than the state and city have budgeted for.
Hochul has made historic investments in the voucher program, making more families eligible and this month promised another $1.2 billion for vouchers in her proposed spending plan. But even with the lion's share planned for New York City, child care advocates say the money won’t be enough to get all the families off the waitlist.
Hochul’s expansion to the voucher program made families earning 85% of the state’s median income eligible, meaning a family of four earning $114,000 a year can qualify.
“This is a way to help families right away as you're trying to scale that other thing up,” said Pete Nabozny, policy director for The Children’s Agenda, a nonprofit that advocates for families.
Nabozny said it costs about $18,000 to fund a yearlong voucher for a child, meaning it would take $279 million to clear the waitlist now.
“Any sort of plan to get to universal child care really does need to ensure that the lowest income families, the families most in need of assistance are, are prioritized in that move.”
Marisa Kaufman, a spokesperson for the Administration for Children’s Services, which administers the voucher program, said the Mamdani administration “is deeply committed to providing universal child care for New York City’s children and families. We look forward to working closely with our partners in the state to meet New Yorkers’ needs.”
Nathalie Dilone, 40, said her husband had to cut back his hours at work in order to pick up her two kids from school because her family can’t afford to pay for after-school.
”It's a sad, unfortunate reality for a lot of people who are not poor, but are in very, very difficult situations like me,” she said. “You're trying to keep yourself above water, and you think you're doing the right thing by going to school and getting that job that will keep you above the poverty line, but you don't qualify and you still need the help.”
Shannan Ramsay, who runs Step With Purpose day care in East New York, said when the voucher program opened its wait list, “ the phone actually stopped ringing.” Her program is licensed for up to 16 children, but only nine are enrolled.
Ramsay said without the vouchers, most parents can’t afford the cost of care.
Another factor complicating voucher demand is the resumption of work requirements for families receiving cash assistance. Those families must be prioritized for a voucher first, meaning newly eligible families, who earn higher incomes, are being waitlisted.
City officials say last November they served 12% more cash assistance families with vouchers than they did the year before.
”There are families who already have a child enrolled and then they have a new baby, and that baby's on the wait list,” said Danielle Demeuse, director of policy for the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families.
She said that creates “undue difficulty for families.”
Tagged
Politics
economy
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new york city
Karen Yi
Karen Yi covers homelessness and poverty. She joined the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom in 2020. Before that, Karen covered Newark for the Star-Ledger and spent almost a decade working for newspapers in New Jersey and Florida. She grew up in Miami and has a dog named Cashew. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-589-1460.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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