Nearly 3K New Child Care Slots Coming To NYC With $17M Push: Hochul

NEW YORK CITY ? New York City parents who've struggled to find child care soon could have 3,000 new options, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

Hochul announced Monday that $17 million in funds will go toward 70 new child care programs in the city.

The funds are part of a wider push to use roughly $70 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to address "child care deserts" ? areas without sufficient child care slots ? across the state, Hochul said.

"Over 60 percent of New York State is still considered a child care desert ? 60 percent ? and over half of New York City," she said.

A child care desert map maintained by the state shows large portions of New York City ? including Washington Heights, where Hochul made her announcement Monday ? lack sufficient slots for parents and their kids.

She said across the United States in recent years that 2,000 child care programs shut down, which "evaporated" 20,000 slots and took 2 million women out of the workforce.

Hochul also pointed something many New York City parents know acutely: child care in the city is expensive.

"In New York City, we have some of the highest minimum wages in the country," she said. "But a minimum wage worker has to work 26 weeks at minimum wage to pay for child care for their family," she said.

The funding for new child care providers will go toward creating 344 new programs across the state, officials said.

Rep. Adriano Espaillat, who represents several Uptown neighborhoods including Washington Heights, said the city's elected leaders will push for even more child care funds.

"This is a great start," he said.

"This is a pivotal piece for our economy to jumpstart."