NEW YORK (WABC) — Child care is a major expense for most parents.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul plans to join Mayor Zohran Mamdani in Brooklyn on Thursday to talk about her plan to fund universal child care.
One of Mayor Mamdani’s campaign promises was universal child care in New York City, but Governor Hochul wants to take it a step further and make universal child care available statewide.
Polls in the past have shown support for Mamdani’s universal child care plans in New York City.
New York City already offers free preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds, but Mamdani has said he hopes to ease the financial burden for families with children between six-weeks and five years old. His plan would cost between $5 and $8 billion annually, and he has said he plans to pay for this through a tax hike on millionaires and corporations.
Hochul, however, has expressed that she wants universal child care statewide, which would cost around $15 billion a year. She has also said she does not want to raise taxes.
Funding universal child care in New York City or across the state would still need approval.
Many details, including how it would be paid for, remain up in the air.
Governor Hochul is expected to speak around 10:30 a.m. Thursday.
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