This case study was developed by the National Center for Family & Parent Leadership at the Early Childhood Investment Corporation, as part of the Alliance’s partnership with the center for the development of resources for the Alliance’s Family Voice Institute for early childhood policy advocates.
In New York, achieving universal child care requires more than technical policy fixes—it requires building power with families and educators who experience the child care system every day. The Empire State Campaign for Child Care (ESCCC) is a statewide coalition of policy advocates; early childhood and afterschool educators across all settings – centers, homes, and school-based care; and parents working together to make child care a public good rather than a private burden. The coalition’s advocacy centers on establishing and implementing universal child care in New York State by elevating family leadership, strengthening partnerships with providers, and advancing sustained public investment.
Building a Statewide Family-Powered Coalition
From its early stages, the Empire State Campaign for Child Care recognized that meaningful child care reform must be driven by families themselves. The coalition partnered with organizing groups, regional leaders, and child care providers to build authentic connections with parents across New York State. By engaging families through the trusted relationships they already had with providers—and by working intentionally across regions and care settings—ESCCC built a broad, diverse constituency of families who could speak to the realities of child care in their communities.
Rather than relying on a single model of engagement, the coalition met families where they were, recognizing the varied schedules, languages, and responsibilities that shape parents’ ability to participate. This approach ensured that advocacy reflected the lived experiences of families navigating New York’s child care system across geographies and child care settings.
Making Policy Accessible and Participation Possible
As the coalition deepened its partnership with families, ESCCC made important shifts to ensure engagement was accessible, inclusive, and meaningful. One critical change was a commitment to speaking about child care policy in plain language. Recognizing that policy debates are often complex and intimidating, the coalition worked to translate technical details into clear, relatable messages that families could understand and use in advocacy.
The coalition also expanded the tools and mediums available for family engagement. ESCCC developed an advocate quiz to help grassroots members identify their existing skills and find advocacy roles that fit into busy lives. Meetings were scheduled at varied times—including lunch hours and evenings—and translation services were offered to include Spanish-speaking families. New platforms such as a podcast and short-form videos were created to break down policies, budget developments, and advocacy opportunities in accessible, digestible formats.
Investing in Knowledge, Skills, and Shared Leadership
The Empire State Campaign for Child Care has also prioritized equipping families with the knowledge and skills needed to advocate effectively. The coalition hosts informational sessions that address the challenges families face within the child care system, including training on advocating for children with special needs, “know your rights” workshops, and media engagement training. These opportunities empower parents to understand the systems affecting their families and to speak confidently about needed changes.
Equally important, ESCCC has fostered strong solidarity between families and child care providers. By creating shared spaces for learning and advocacy, the coalition has helped families and educators recognize their interdependence and the power of advocating alongside one another to transform the system.
Impact Driven by Family and Provider Partnership
Centering families and providers has fundamentally reshaped child care advocacy in New York. Parents across the state increasingly recognize that their voices are essential to winning universal child care—and they are stepping into leadership roles as advocates, storytellers, and movement builders. This partnership has contributed to historic policy wins, including a threefold increase in state investment in child care assistance between fiscal year 2022 and 2025 and a public commitment from the Governor and newly elected New York City Mayor to achieve universal child care.
Just as significantly, the broader public conversation around child care in New York has shifted. Child care is now widely understood as essential infrastructure—critical to families, workers, and the state’s economy—and that reframing would not have been possible without sustained, robust engagement from parents and providers.
Looking Ahead
The Empire State Campaign for Child Care’s experience underscores a powerful lesson: universal child care becomes possible when families and educators are treated as leaders, not just beneficiaries. By making policy accessible, creating multiple pathways for engagement, and investing in shared leadership, ESCCC is building the durable, statewide power needed to transform New York’s child care system.
As the coalition looks ahead, it remains committed to deepening family partnership, strengthening solidarity with providers, and continuing to build a child care system that truly works for all New York families—because lasting policy change happens when those most impacted help lead the way.
Learn more about the National Center for Family and Parent Leadership, powered by the Early Childhood Investment Corporation. The authors express gratitude to Dede Hill and Shoshana Hershkowitz at the Schuyler Center for their contributions to this spotlight.