New York Aims To Simplify Child Care for Working Families

Governor Kathy Hochul has launched a new program called the Business Navigator Child Care program with the goal of helping families find affordable and good-quality childcare services.

Helping for Working Families

The Business Navigator program is designed to assist employers in finding childcare options for their employees. Governor Hochul is investing $1 million to create this toolkit to help businesses support their employees in accessing affordable child care. This program is part of the larger plan to invest $7 billion to improve childcare services in New York.

Addressing Family Needs

Many parents in New York, over 800,000 of them, struggle to find reliable childcare for their young children. The Business Navigator toolkit aims to help families make important decisions about their careers while making sure their children are safe and happy in childcare centers. Employers can use this toolkit to create childcare strategies that work for their employees.

Governor Hochul's Commitment

Governor Hochul has a personal understanding of balancing work and raising children. She strongly believes in supporting working families in managing their responsibilities. The Business Navigator program is a key part of her efforts to help businesses and employees address childcare needs.

Regional Workshops and Engagement

The toolkit will be introduced through regional workshops across New York State. These workshops will provide businesses with the information they need to better support their employees with childcare options. The program is expected to be available in all regions and aims to engage businesses in adopting childcare support strategies.

Easing the Burden on Businesses

The Business Navigator toolkit offers guidance on how businesses can understand their employees' childcare needs, find resources for childcare services, learn about tax incentives, and consider offering childcare benefits. Businesses interested in participating can register for upcoming in-person workshops with the Business Navigator Toolkit Regional Live Launch.

Making Child Care Easier for Families

By empowering businesses to offer better support for their employees' childcare needs, the program aims to create a more family-friendly and supportive work environment throughout the state. Interested parties can find more information about the program on the Early Care & Learning Council website and the OCFS website.