On Aug. 13, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced further coverage of child care costs for families already receiving assistance. The policy, set to take effect in September, will benefit about 22,000 low-income families who currently receive assistance from the Child Care Assistance Program, covering $5.2 million in annual out-of-pocket costs.
Child care costs are one of the single largest expenses for New York families, according to Governor Kathy Hochul. According to legal child care support platform TOOTRiS, child care in New York City consumes approximately 46 % of monthly income.
“For thousands of families, a weekly child care fee means another bill they simply can’t afford,” said Mamdani. “No family should have to choose between staying in the city they love and affording care for their child.”
“New York City just became much more affordable for 22,000 families who rely on the voucher system for childcare, but who still struggle to pay their fees,” said Brooklyn’s District 47 Councilwoman Kayla Santosuosso.
More than 100,000 children currently receive vouchers through the State’s Child Care Assistance Program in New York City, according to the Office of the Mayor.The city charges those families on a sliding scale. Families currently receiving subsidies will not need to take any additional action to have those costs completely covered.
The announcement follows the submission of more than 5,700 applications for the city’s first-ever free 2-K program, announced earlier this month.
