| Photo by Steve Libralon on Unsplash
NEW YORK – To help working families access childcare throughout New York State, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has launched a new online screening tool to check eligibility. She has also re-established a statewide task force to develop an implementation plan for universal child care.
“As a mother who put her career on pause due to a lack of affordable child care, I understand first-hand how important this lifeline is for families,” Governor Hochul said. “Complimenting the major investments made in funding child care, we are taking significant steps to improve the process of finding care, widen program eligibility, and support our workforce to ensure all New Yorkers have access to these critical resources.”
The new online screening tool will help parents determine their eligibility for financial support from the state’s Child Care Assistance Program for low or no-cost child care. Developed by the state Office of Children and Family Services, the tool is aimed at accelerating and streamlining the application process for families so that they can quickly determine the services they may be eligible to receive.
Families can complete an optional online questionnaire, which immediately lets them know whether they meet the essential criteria for eligibility and then directs them to the local department of social services to apply for funding. The new online tool is available to the general public in 12 languages on the New York State Office of Children and Family Services website. It can be accessed anywhere, anytime, with a computer or mobile device.
Governor Hochul announced the statewide electronic pre-screening tool as part of her State of the State address in January when she called for streamlining and centralizing the childcare application process. The Governor also committed to accelerating the application process for families in her continuing effort to expand access to high-quality child care, including an unprecedented $7.6 billion investment over four years.
In addition, Governor Hochul announced the re-establishment of the New York State Child Care Availability Task Force, which will help develop a framework for how the state could implement universal child care. Co-chaired by OCFS Acting Commissioner Suzanne Miles-Gustave and Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon, the task force met for the first time since releasing its final report in May 2021.
The re-established Child Care Availability Task Force will advise the state on developing a phased-in rollout of universal child care and is charged with issuing its new report by the end of the year. In addition to developing this plan, the task force will also evaluate the state’s childcare needs, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the delivery of childcare, recommend ways to address the childcare workforce crisis, and assess the implementation of policies supported by federally funded pandemic-related programs.
The task force comprises representatives from State agencies, early education leaders, and stakeholders. The task force members include childcare providers and unions, advocacy groups and stakeholders, the business community, and local social services departments.
Governor Hochul served as co-chair of the task force when it was initially convened in December 2018 and developed a comprehensive plan to make quality child care affordable and accessible for all New Yorkers. New York State’s social services law was amended to reconvene the task force and with a new charge, in addition to reviewing the progress of recommendations made in the 2021 report.
–With Jay Domingo/PDM
