Earlier this year it was announced by Governor Kathy Hochul's office that a multi-million dollar initiative to expand/create 'high-quality child care centers' across SUNY and CUNY campuses were being implemented.

On October 18th, the second phase of the larger initiative was outlined by Hochul, and praised by the SUNY Chancellor's Office.  The Governor shared that a $15.6 million dollar state investment to expand childcare access for SUNY and CUNY students and faculty was happening.

October 2022 Funding to Address Childcare 'Deserts' Across SUNY Campuses

The Governor's Office shared information via a press release on Tuesday, October 18th that pointed out a troubling statistic about some SUNY campuses, indicating that 'about 80% of students with dependents' reported trouble meeting childcare needs.

Of the campuses that indicated the greatest demand for aid, one is right here in the Hudson Valley, SUNY Sullivan.  SUNY will be expanding on-site services with an investment of $7.6 million for SUNY Sullivan and the five others most in need.

The announcement also discussed the plan to invest $15.6 million to expand childcare access across SUNY and CUNY; with $10.8 million dedicated to addressing 'child care deserts' on the SUNY side, and additional services for the CUNY side.  This includes a focus on campuses that do not have centers at all on-site.

SUNY Interim Chancellor Deborah F. Stanley, regarding the initiative, shared the following:

We have a holistic approach to student success and have made great progress in New York State thanks to Governor Hochul and our Legislature, and the expansion of child care is critical for so many students and faculty alike.

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March 2022 Multi-Million Dollar Childcare Initiative Announced by Governor Hochul

In a release on Friday, March 11th, Governor Hochul announced this multi-million dollar initiative to expand and create high-quality child care centers across the statewide SUNY campuses, and also create training programs for child care professionals.

In addition to students, many SUNY child care centers are open to faculty, staff, state employees, and local community members.

This funding is an important step toward my administration's goal of eliminating child care deserts across SUNY campuses statewide and adequately investing in our state's students, faculty, and working parents.

 

tolmacho from pixabay for Canva
tolmacho from pixabay for Canva
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According to Governor Hochul, the initiative includes the distribution of $4.5 million in state and federal funding to support the current centers, while also creating a program to train the next generation of childcare professionals.

Statistics indicate that during the 2020-2021 academic year, across the 46 (SUNY & CUNY) campuses that have a child care center on-site, 1,200 student parents utilized services that provided care in more than 4,000 spots.  During the 2021-2022 year, SUNY served 650 student parents with a. total of 4,500 childcare spots, again across the 46 campuses that have on-site centers.

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