Last week, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the state will fund a pilot program to help expand options for child care in Broome, Dutchess and Monroe Counties.

The program will allocate $60 million in state funding, as well as contributions from each of the three counties, to expand child care access. The new program is part of Hochul’s $4.5 billion investment aimed at providing universal and accessible child care to New Yorkers with children under the age of five.

“I’ll never stop working to make life more affordable for New Yorkers — and that’s why my plan will deliver universal child care for families all across New York,” said Hochul in a Jan 14. press release. “As part of my plan to support every county statewide, this new pilot program will help counties develop and expand new models for providing child care for families, regardless of their income status.”

As part of her 2026 State of the State Address, Hochul discussed separate plans to achieve a “truly universal Pre-K;” expand access to the Child Care Assistance Program, which provides subsidies to allow lower-income families the opportunity to access child care; open a new Office of Child Care and Early Education; and expand the early childhood education workforce.

In their press statements, representatives of Broome County, including State Senator Lea Webb ‘04, Broome County Executive Jason Garnar ‘99 and Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo MA ‘84, thanked Hochul for selecting Broome County as a site to implement the pilot program.

“This is a huge win for working families in Broome County,” Webb said in the Jan. 14 press release. “Access to affordable and high-quality childcare is one of the most important issues impacting families across the Southern Tier.”

Assemblymember Joseph Angelino, who represents parts of Broome County, said the funds will help the local economy, spur the opening of the largest child care facility in the county and ensure that rural communities “are not left behind.”

Broome County will receive a total of $20 million from the state and contribute an additional 10 percent in funding to help kick-start the pilot program. The child care center at Oakdale Commons, for which the funding is directed, is expected to open in the fall.

According to statistics published by The Children’s Agenda, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of children in New York, there has not been enough child care to support the needs of families in Broome County. While progress has been made to lower the cost of child care for families, it still remains costly for those paying out-of-pocket, while the workers providing care are themselves underpaid, limiting the quality of care that can be received.

The New York State Office of Children and Family Services reported that in 2023, 60 percent of the state was located in a “child care desert,” where there were at least three children under the age of five per available spot in child care services.

“Governor Hochul’s commitment to expanding universal childcare is exactly the kind of leadership working families need right now,” Garnar said in a press release. “By including Broome County in this new upstate pilot, the Governor is helping make life more affordable for parents who just want to go to work, provide for their families, and know their kids are safe and cared for.”