New York, like all states, has a unique early childhood policy landscape that is shaped by economics, demographics, political history, coalitions, and other factors that create a state-specific environment for policy advocacy.
State early childhood policy progress is dependent both on the state’s environment and the numerous efforts—by the organizations listed on this page, other organizations, parents, policymakers, practitioners, and more—who work both independently and collaboratively to achieve wins for young children.
Research shows that family economic security is foundational to children’s overall wellbeing. Research also shows that widespread disparities in opportunity (especially by race) drive wide disparities in outcomes. States with policies that offer strong support to young children and their families are more likely to see 1) declining numbers of children in low-income households and 2) low racial disparity among those children.
Young Children in Low-Income Households: Declining
Approximately 38% (700,000) of the state’s children 0-8 live in households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (2022). This number represents a decrease from 41% (830,000) in 2017.1
Racial Disparity Among Young Children Living in Low-Income Households: High
Black, Hispanic/Latino, and/or Native children aged 0-8 are significantly more likely to be living in households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level than are Asian and non-Hispanic White children.2
State General Fund Appropriations: Growing
New York’s governor signed the state’s fiscal 2025 budget into law in April of 2024. The budget for fiscal 2025 calls for $239.2 billion in spending from all funds, a 1.8 percent annual increase, and $132.0 billion in state operating funds, a 2.8 percent increase over fiscal 2024, according to the Enacted Budget Financial Plan. General fund spending, including transfers, is expected to total $107.8 billion in fiscal 2025, a 7.6 percent increase over the prior year. All funds receipts, excluding the pass-through entity tax (PTET), are projected to total $235.8 billion, a 0.5 percent annual increase, while general fund receipts (also excluding PTET) are projected at $110.0 billion, a 5.7 percent increase. The state estimates a general fund ending balance of $48.5 billion (including the rainy day fund and other reserves), or $32.8 billion when excluding funds for monetary settlements and PTET.3
Largest Revenue Sources (after federal transfers):4
New York uses all major state and local taxes.
State Budget Rules:4
New York uses an annual budget. The legislature must pass a balanced budget, but it can carry a deficit over into the following year. There are no further tax and expenditure limits in New York. There are limits on total authorized debt and debt service incurred by the state.
Political Alignment: Aligned Democrat
During the 2024 session, the state’s Senate and House were both Democrat controlled. The state’s Governor was also a Democrat.5
Types of Common Ballot Measures Available:6 Two
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Organizations Include:
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Multi-State Initiatives Include:7
A New York coalition of advocates is working with Child Care NEXT funding on a sustained effort to pursue bold transformation for the state’s child-care ecosystem.
Highlights from the state’s early childhood policy advocacy community include:8
The state will implement continuous Medicaid and Child Health Plus eligibility for children aged 0-6. Forty-five percent of New York children are covered by Medicaid and Child Health Plus. Eliminating the requirement for the youngest New Yorkers to re-enroll every year will help ensure children’s access to health services in the most critical years of their development.
The state included a one-time supplement to the Empire State Child Credit—to be distributed in August 2024—at a cost to the state of about $350 million. Families will receive a payment that is a percentage of their 2023 ESCC credit: for families with incomes under $10,000 this will be 100% of the credit they received for 2023 (which provides a maximum payment of $330 per child); families with incomes between $10,000 – $24,999 will receive 75% of their 2023 credit; decreasing to 50% of the credit for families between $25,000 – $49,999 and 25% for families with incomes of $50,000 and above.
The state’s budget bill included a one-time August supplement to the Empire State Child Credit at a cost to New York of about $350 million. Families will receive a payment that is a percentage of their 2023 ESCC credit: for families with incomes under $10,000, this will be 100 percent of the credit they received for 2023 (which provides a maximum payment of $330 per child); families with incomes between $10,000 – $24,999 will receive 75% of their 2023 credit; decreasing to 50% of the credit for families between $25,000 – $49,999 and 25% for families with incomes of $50,000 and above.
New York invested an unprecedented amount in state operating funds on the Child Care Assistance Program (subsidies). Annual state (non-federal) appropriations on the Child Care Assistance Program more than doubled from FY 2024 ($459 million) to FY 2025 ($997 million). To consider this gain in a larger context, in FY 2023, that state appropriation was about $320 million; for the decade prior, it averaged about $225 million. Looking ahead, New York has committed in the state fiscal plan to invest more than $1.2 billion per year from state funds by 2026.
The budget also included a statewide increase in the minimum rate differential paid to child care programs providing care to children experiencing homelessness and during non-traditional hours from 5% to 10% above the normal rate.
New York added $100 million in funding to expand pre-K slots throughout the state and authorized the Commissioner of Education to conduct a study on the consolidation of all pre-kindergarten funding for the purpose of streamlining the funding process and program implementation.
Our lead allies in the state of New York, the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, is a 152-year-old statewide, nonprofit organization dedicated to policy analysis and advocacy in support of public systems that meet the needs of disenfranchised populations and people living in poverty—particularly children and families. The Schuyler Center partners with the Alliance for Quality Education, and together with numerous partners, they lead the Empire State Campaign for Child Care. The Alliance for Quality Education is a statewide coalition of community organizing groups organizing parents in Black, brown and low income communities on early education and K-12 public education, advocating for educational, racial and economic justice.
Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy and Alliance for Quality Education New York, are working to advance early childhood policies in several areas that align with the Alliance’s birth-through-eight policy framework:
Child Care
Child Care Workforce
K-3 Education
Preschool and Pre-K
Maternal Health
Infant and Child Health
Family Economic Security
Child Welfare
Home Visiting
Data Systems
The New York legislature passed a new, progressive, annual budget in state revenue that will fully fund its school aid formula. Additionally, New York will allocate federal relief dollars to support significant policy changes in child care.
NOTES:
1 Kids Count Data Center, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, January, 2024.
2 National Center for Children in Poverty, Children Ages 0 through 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, October 2024, NCCP analysis of ACS 5-Year Estimates – Public Use Microdata Sample 2018-2022.
3 National Association of State Budget Officers, Proposed and Enacted Budgets, FY 2025.
4 Urban Institute, State Fiscal Briefs, June 2024.
5 National Conference of State Legislatures, 2024 State & Legislative Partisan Composition, April 29, 2024.
6 Ballotpedia, Ballot Measures by State, Kids Count Data Center, retrieved July, 2024.
7 Alliance for Early Success, Multi-State Initiatives for Early Childhood Policy Advocacy, July, 2024.
8 Alliance for Early Success, State-Wide Advocacy Highlights Survey, April-October, 2024; and 2024 Prenatal-to-3 Legislative Highlights, Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, July, 2024.
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© 2024 Alliance for Early Success
The Alliance for Early Success does not endorse or advocate for specific legislation or candidates.
