Lawmakers say families are being left behind by NY’s child care program shortfall
Under the FY26 budget, the state allocated $400 million in additional CCAP funding, totaling roughly $2.2 billion in aid. However, Maher and Rolison argue that money is not being distributed fast enough to help those in need.
Two Hudson Valley lawmakers are raising concerns about what they call a critical funding gap in New York’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)—saying the shortfall is leaving working families without the support they need to afford reliable childcare.
Assemblyman Brian Maher and Sen. Rob Rolison, who is the ranking member of the Senate Children & Families Committee, held a press conference Monday to draw attention to the issue. They say the problem stems from a recent expansion of eligibility, which allows more families to qualify for subsidies—but has overwhelmed local resources and strained budgets.
“The sad truth is that we reminded the governor during the budget that there was a shortfall. We asked for an additional $1 billion dollars to be put in the budget and both Legislatures advocated for that and the governor was unable to put that in the final budget,” says New York state Assemblyman Brian Maher.
Under the FY26 budget, the state allocated $400 million in additional CCAP funding, totaling roughly $2.2 billion in aid. However, Maher and Rolison argue that money is not being distributed fast enough to help those in need, especially in counties outside New York City, where only $50 million has been earmarked.
A spokesperson for the Office of Children and Family Services says the state is committed to supporting affordable child care, noting that eligibility has increased to 85% of the state median income and that co-pays have been reduced to just 1% of a family’s income. They also point to the initial historic $1.8 billion investment in FY25 and say supplemental funds are available to help counties keep children enrolled.
Lawmakers say those changes aren’t enough to help the growing number of families in need. Under the new eligibility requirements a household of four with an income of $108,000 or less can apply.
“The money is running out and there is a waitlist in Orange County and other counties will have waitlists as we move farther into the fall,” Rolison said.
Orange County officials say 60 cases that meet the eligibility requires for childcare assistance in the county have been denied this year due to lack of funding.
A spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul's office says, "We're continuing to work with local governments across the state to ensure the funding is utilized to increase available seats and maximize accessibility."
