Jim Moore / May 13, 2026
Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed state budget investments in universal child care could bring major changes to working families across the Finger Lakes region, where many rural communities continue to face shortages in affordable child care options. The plan includes a $1.7 billion statewide increase in child care and prekindergarten funding, with the goal of expanding access to care for nearly 100,000 additional children across New York.
For families in the Finger Lakes, the proposal could mean broader eligibility for child care subsidies, expanded pre-kindergarten access, and new county-level pilot programs designed to increase full-day, year-round child care availability. Governor Hochul’s plan would also guarantee universal pre-K access for all four-year-olds statewide by the 2028-29 school year. State officials said the budget would continue expanding the Child Care Assistance Program, which currently caps many participating families’ child care costs at $15 per week.
The Finger Lakes region is also expected to benefit from related investments in higher education and workforce support tied to child care expansion. Earlier this year, the state announced expanded evening child care hours at Finger Lakes Community College to better serve adult learners and student parents enrolled in workforce training and degree programs. State officials say the broader child care initiative is intended to help parents remain in the workforce, strengthen local economies, and address ongoing labor shortages affecting many upstate communities.
Learn more about the Proposed New York State Budget here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-investments-deliver-universal-child-care-new-york-children-under
