In November, the Empire State Campaign for Child Care (ESCCC) released its “New York State Child Care for All” plan to achieve universal child care in New York.

This plan is a result of years of listening to child care providers, parents, and community leaders and advocates. It has been carefully informed by those directly affected, and by a lot of research on the realities of child care access and affordability across New York State.

Here are 10 reasons the New York State Child Care for All Plan is one that every parent, advocate, early educator, and child care provider should be excited about:  

• The NYS Child Care for All plan believes that universal means that all children, regardless of income, immigration status, or zip code should have access to child care. 

• The NYS Child Care for All plan includes all types of care: afterschool care, summer care, and evening and weekend care for children ages 0 to 13.

• The NYS Child Care for All plan includes child care for children with disabilities.

• The NYS Child Care for All plan does away with intrusive and long applications; it does not ask parents about work status, or to report their income (which is sometimes referred to as 'means testing.") Less paperwork - yes please! 

• The NYS Child Care for All plan calls for an increase in child care worker pay. This is important because we cannot reach universal child care without early care educators to care for our kids.

• By calling for an increase in child care worker pay, the plan is supporting workers who want to stay in the child care profession. Higher wages allows them to stay in the profession they love, and support their own families. Higher wages will help bring more people to the child care sector.

• The NYS Child Care for All plan takes an equity approach: ensuring that low income families are prioritized. The plan proposes to do this via a community eligibility model, starting in specific high-need communities through  “bridge” projects–  that will bridge the existing system to universal. It also caps the fees: Limiting the amount  that parents who are above the poverty line pay out of pocket to $20 per day.

• The NYS Child Care for All plan also protects middle-income families who often do not have access to any child care support. It protects middle income parents from rate hikes, benefits cliffs and changes in the available slots. 

• We know different families have different child care needs — after all, not all parents have 9 to 5 jobs! The NYS Child Care for All Plan supports parents choosing the kind of child care that works for their work and family schedule and would cover care in child care centers or in home-based care.

• New York State Child Care for All values and recognizes the need for flexibility across our very diverse state. The plan can be coordinated with pre-K and 3-K, New York City’s contract-child care, and other models. 

How does the plan want to get all this awesome done? Specifically, the New York State Child Care for All plan calls to:

1. Increase child care supply and quality throughout New York State by immediately increasing workforce compensation through a state-funded workforce compensation fund. 

2. Put in place two types of bridge to universal child care projects in communities around the state; a community eligibility model and a capped-fee model. 

3. Meet the demand for Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). As of October 28, 2025, 26 counties — including NYC, have closed enrollment or started waitlists due to inadequate funding, disrupting the lives of tens of thousands of working families across the state. 

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT: 

Here are three ways to get involved and help us make universal child care a reality: 

1. If you are on a waitlist for New York State, or have had an issue accessing child care in New York, we want to hear from you! Click here to share your story! https://www.momsrising.org/blog/new-york-moms-dads-caregivers-and-child-care-providers-share-your-child-care-story-with-us 

2. Click here to sign and tell New York state lawmakers that child care for all should be a priority in 2026.  

3. Share this post on social media and help us spread the word! You can copy it here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTNrDV2jtwl/?igsh=YXdmYXVldjRycHgz