Brown: Child Care is Unaffordable and Inaccessible in New York State—This Needs to Change

Assemblyman Keith P. Brown (R,C-Northport) is proud to support his Assembly Minority Conference colleagues including Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay (R,C-Pulaski), Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square), Assemblyman Matt Slater (R,C-Yorktown), Assemblyman Josh Jensen (R,C-Greece), Assemblyman Brian Maher (R,C-Walden) and Assemblyman Jarett Gandolfo (R,C-Sayville) who presented a comprehensive proposal to improve New York state’s child care system. This proposal included three significant parts:

  1. Providing increased tax incentives to both providers and families;
  2. Expanding access to early childhood education; and
  3. Increasing accessibility and affordability with regard to child care.

“I am proud to support my Assembly Minority Conference colleagues who have taken the initiative in Albany to help improve access to child care for families on Long Island and throughout New York state,” said Brown. “The high cost of living and inflation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have taken a toll on businesses and families alike. Affordable child care programs have become scarce, and there is a disturbing shortage of child care providers available—both of these trends have correlated with increased child poverty rates in our state, which is concerning and unacceptable.”

“Investing $1 billion in New York state’s child care system will help take the financial pressure off families already struggling and also ensure children statewide receive quality early childhood education. No family or mother should have to give up or be driven away from child care due to inaccessibility or unaffordability, and by investing in our child care system and making the improvements needed, we can make sure families and mothers do not face this dilemma.”