Hochul to outline universal child care plan for New York today

Governor Kathy Hochul is scheduled to speak at York College today to present a universal child care proposal that she has said would include a $1.7 billion commitment in the next budget to expand care and aim to fund services for children up to age 3.

Governor Kathy Hochul is scheduled to outline her proposal for universal child care this morning at York College in Jamaica, Queens. The announcement follows a state of the state address that emphasized affordability and a broader push on child care. Hochul has proposed a $1.7 billion commitment in the next budget to expand child care access. She and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently announced free child care for 2-year-olds in the five boroughs and wider access for 3-year-olds. Key details: - Hochul is scheduled to speak at York College in Jamaica, Queens this morning. - She announced a proposed $1.7 billion commitment in the next budget to expand child care, with a stated aim to fund care for children up to age 3 statewide. - The plan includes a goal to phase in universal pre-K for 4-year-olds by 2028. - Last week, Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced free child care for 2-year-olds across the five boroughs and expanded access for 3-year-olds. - New York City's pre-K and 3-K applications opened this week, and the reported final day to enroll is Feb. 27. Summary: If advanced, the proposal would aim to extend publicly funded child care to children up to age 3 across New York and to establish universal pre-K for 4-year-olds by 2028. The governor's speech at York College and the upcoming state budget process are occasions where details and funding would be addressed.