- Federal and state funding issues have led to widespread challenges for childcare programs and communities across New York State.

Locally in Rensselaer County.

The lack of funding has led to staffing and resource shortages for afterschool and childcare programs in the community.

Rensselaer County was allocated $8.5 million for the 20 25, 20 26 cycle, but community members urge that it was not enough.

With limited funding, families are required to pay out of pocket, leaving them with reduced access to affordable childcare.

The county stopped accepting applications on November 1st, 2025.

In response to this ongoing crisis.

State Senator Jacob Ashby, a Republican who represents Rensler County in the legislature, has introduced a bill that will provide onsite childcare within each state office across New York in an effort to provide support to state workers.

- You know, for many of us, the start of the conversation begins with, you know, my childcare bill is more than my mortgage, right?

And then it'll turn into, you know, they're losing staff at an unbelievable rate.

And then the next part is we're looking for another place.

And the smaller home-based childcare businesses that we've talked to, they're facing a lot of regulatory hurdles, the same staffing issues that some of the larger companies have as well.

So it's very, it's universal in terms of its demand, which is why I think it demands a comprehensive response.

- Senator Ashby's Bill calls for a childcare expansion program within the Office of General Services.

This is the first year that the bill was introduced in the legislature, and it is currently being reviewed by the Senate Committee.

- I think it's something that both parties can come together on.

It would allow OGS the ability to contract out for childcare for state employees or agencies that have more than a hundred employees.

And there's a lot of freedom and their ability to do that.

But in, in this business environment, sometimes that's hard, you know, and this would provide certainly the tax relief or a lesser tax burden on that, and the space and potentially the personnel as well.

- According to a 2023 Rensselaer County Community needs assessment report from the Commission on Economic opportunity for the Greater Capital Region.

Rensselaer County has a shortage of childcare centers with 64% of households living in a childcare desert.

In addition, the average cost of childcare for each child is $15,394 per year, making this an unaffordable cost for many households.

The lack of funding in communities like Albany and Rensselaer heavily impacts the amount of available childcare slots.

In New York Assembly member Sarah Clark, a democrat who represents New York's 136th District in the legislature, says that tackling the workforce decline in childcare is necessary in order to relieve the pressure on working families who are struggling to find available childcare.

- Even if we help every single family with childcare, if there's not slots available, then it, it doesn't solve anything.

And so to ensure families are getting the help that they need, and that they have a place to put their child are to of most important things, - Quality childcare helps working families by allowing them safe and supervised arrangements for their children, allowing parents to work consistently.

Quality childcare and afterschool programs have also been known to have developmental benefits on children.

Long term assembly.

Member Clark says, early childcare has a significant impact on preparedness to learn.

- I can firsthand say I've saw it with my three children, is children who are in some preschooling settings before they walk into a school building are, you know, oftentimes much more ready for what a real school day looks like.

We also know that the first zero to three years of a child's life is most critical in terms of their brain development, how quickly they're absorbing things.

And it really sets them on a, a path of, of being the, a better learner or, or ready for, you know, the, the way we want children to be able to learn.

And so early childcare is, it's many things, right?

It's the ability for families to provide for themselves to have stable income, but it also makes a huge difference in a child's life.

- Beyond preschool and daycare, local afterschool programs are facing staffing shortages and insufficient funding.

Assembly member John McDonald, a democrat who represents Monroe County in the legislature, says community-based organizations as well as families need to see support.

- And by the way, we have a lot of not-for-profit entities like the Boys and Girls Club, like Hope seven in Reser County that are struggling because they're not able to continue on, because they've been relying on these individuals being supported by the state.

So it, it's a whole system.

The whole childcare ecosystem includes a lot of our very strong not-for-profits.

- Holly Cargill Kramer, executive Director of Hope seven Community Center in East Troy, also known as the East Side Neighborhood Recreation Center, says it's been quite the challenge to continue serving her community under these circumstances.

- We began to say letters from Rensselaer County warning us last fall that funding was going to run out, and then that beginning November 1st, as our families were, would normally be coming up on a recertification, they would be told that they had to start the process all over again.

That they wouldn't be able to just recertify at their current level.

They would have to reapply to the program as if they had never been on it.

- The executive director of Hope Seven also discussed the impact the lack of funding has had on Hope seven enrollment and staffing.

The community center usually operates with about 40 children.

Hope seven currently has 18 children enrolled.

- Our staffing level as is at a artificially low ebb right now.

Anyway, we are at base level and we are at BA base level because of the number of children that we have.

But the fact of the matter is, I couldn't take on additional children right now because I cannot pay the staff.

- Afterschool programs are a crucial resource in benefiting older youth, like early childcare programs.

They increase academic enhancement, social emotional development, and reduce safety risks.

State Senator Roxanne Persad, a democrat who represents Kings County, is proposing a new plan to eliminate as many obstacles as possible for families in her community.

The senator created a new bill that will be tested through a two year pilot.

The bill would employ youth and young adults through a year round youth employment immersion program, and help them build transferable work skills in the public, nonprofit, or private sector.

- But I have a bill that we've been working on and, and to do year round employment for, for youth across, across our state.

And, and so we're looking at it, you know, we've paired it down and said, you know, we'll start, do a pilot how, and, and, and address and, and then see how the pilot runs for two years.

As we look to expand on that.

And I think it will help a lot of youth come off of the streets because they leave, they'll leave school, and then they'll go to their, their, their place of employment that they'll be building a skill so that when they're finished with high school, they have a skill that that's there.

- The bill is currently in the Senate Finance Committee, while the state budget is still being negotiated between state leaders, state lawmakers are integrating strategies to expand access to childcare and tackle the rising costs for families.

Assembly Member McDonald says he hopes for more flexibility and to see resources better allocated to help families.

By the end of this legislative session, - There's $3.6 billion allocated in this budget to expand childcare.

I do believe it needs to be within the Office of Children and Family Services because we wanna impact all families.

Office of General Services makes sense for public employees, but it's public employees and private employees that need the care.

So we're trying to focus on making sure that we're able to have some flexibility in actually moving that funding around from one county to the other, but also to improve both private and public sector employees.

- Assembly member Mary Beth Walsh, a Republican who represents New York's 112th District, spoke about the Republican assemblies a BC childcare plan.

The affordable blueprint for childcare, or a BC plan is a three-prong proposal that was proposed back in March of 2024.

Assembly Member Walsh says that funding for childcare is a bipartisan issue, - You know, regardless of party.

This is an issue that we all recognize.

It's just, I think that our approach on our side of the aisle is a little bit different.

So what the A BC plan would do is it would provide tax credits to families and providers.

It would increase the state reimbursement rate for universal pre-K aid, and it would implement a substitute childcare database in a, a portion of that plan was already adopted in the fiscal year 26 enacted budget.

- Although pieces of the A BC plan have been partially approved, assembly member Walsh and her colleagues are further examining barriers that prevent new childcare providers from being created.

- I hear about that a lot too in my district where I have childcare providers that are really having a hard time because they're, they're unable to maintain a steady workforce.

They're running into a lot of government red tape in terms of being able to, you know, obtain insurance for their, for their daycare center.

They're running into different kinds of problems.

So the a BC plan kind of looks at it, not purely from a let's just continue to throw money at it, but it's, I mean, that's a portion of it, but it's also how is that money gonna get delivered to families.

We prefer to see it more in, in the form of a tax credit - Assembly member, Clark and Senator Persad both spoke about expanding access to childcare through a consistent source of funds that is dedicated to childcare.

- We have not gotten to the point yet where we can fully fund it.

And as we're doing our budget right now, those are some of the conversations we're continuing to have as to, you know, what is the need that's there?

How do we fund that need and how do we continue the funding?

It's, it should, it's not aho, it's, you know, a one off funding.

We have to make sure the funding stream continues.

- If we're gonna fully fund childcare to make sure that even just now under our current eligibility standards, every family who is eligible, you know, is receives the childcare money that they are eligible for.

We have to put a lot more money into the system.

And to do that, we can't continue to just keep from the general fund.

We have to figure out a path forward on a dedicated revenue stream that is just for childcare.

- Assembly.

Member Clark is proposing a bill that would help create a statewide childcare fund if enacted.

The bill would ensure funding is consistent across counties, while still supporting local services to help families access care.

Offering a contrasting approach to Senator Ashby's plan, - The ultimate goal is to what my bill will do, which is sweep all the money into a childcare fund that is run by the state.

And then counties can still, you know, be the front door.

We can give them some admin costs to make sure that we're paying for their staff, and then they can still work with families to make them eligible, but that the money actually just comes from a statewide fund.

There is no reason in our state that childcare should depend by which county you live in.

- Governor Ho's statewide childcare expansion program and Universal Childcare Plan aims to provide free or affordable high quality childcare for all children under five and ease the financial burden for families all around New York State.

At this time, the Governor's $4.5 billion proposed childcare plan is included in the state budget.

Currently, under negotiations today impacted families, service providers and advocates await state budget updates in hopes that the intended allocations improve affordability for New Yorkers.

- Every organization that I know of that does the kind of work that these organizations do are desperately in need of unrestricted funds to help their operations, targeted funds to help things, you know, to help the daycare programs also appreciated.

But those who are able and have funding to help these afterschool programs are in crisis, and the parents that need them are in crisis.

That crisis is not a short term crisis.

- While budget negotiations are still delayed at the state capital, it's unclear whether or not the bill will make it over the finish line.

Lawmakers and supporters tell me they will continue to garner support for the bill as well as the Reser community.

We'll continue to bring you updates on this policy issue as they develop for New York.

Now, I'm Jordan Miller.