KinderCare Applauds New York’s Historic Investments in Child Care

State’s expansion of Universal Pre-K and broader investments in child care align with KinderCare’s mission to increase access to high-quality early childhood education and care for families who need it most

Key takeaways:

• KinderCare applauds New York’s $1.7 billion investment in child care and early learning, which expands access to affordable, high-quality programs for children and families across the state.
• KinderCare helps deliver publicly funded early learning programs through its 35 New York programs, making high-quality child care more accessible to working families.
• New York’s investments in Universal Pre-K, child care assistance and early learning programs will help hundreds of thousands of children access high-quality education and care.
• KinderCare supports policies that increase child care affordability, strengthen workforce participation and expand access to high-quality early childhood education.
• KinderCare is the nation’s leading provider of early childhood education and care, serving families through a nationwide network of high-quality child care centers.

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KinderCare Learning Companies, Inc. (NYSE: KLC) (“KinderCare”), the nation’s leading provider of high-quality early childhood education and care, congratulates New York Governor Kathy Hochul and state legislators on their decision to invest $1.7 billion in the state’s early childhood education programs, ensuring that hundreds of thousands of children across New York have access to affordable, high-quality child care.

The $1.7 billion will support affordable, accessible child care through several programs.

• $561 million will go toward New York’s public prekindergarten (Pre-K) with the goal of offering public Pre-K to all four-year-olds by Fall 2028;
• $1.2 billion will expand the child care assistance program (CCAP) subsidy program, a 40% increase in funding;
• $278 million will go toward New York City’s 3-K and 2-K programs, expanding access to high-quality care for families with young children, and
• $66 million to expand child care access in rural counties for children 0-3.

The investment comes as families continue to face significant child care challenges. According to KinderCare’s recent KinderCare Confidence Index, 75% of working parents know someone who has left the workforce because of child care issues, while more than one-quarter have either left or considered leaving their own job due to child care challenges. Half of working parents report missing work because of disruptions in child care arrangements.

“New York is making a significant investment in children, families, and the future of its workforce,” said Tom Wyatt, Chairman and CEO of KinderCare Learning Companies. “Expanding access to high-quality early learning gives more children the opportunity to thrive and helps working families find the care they need. We applaud the state’s commitment to strengthening its child care system and supporting long-term economic growth.”

KinderCare will continue to work with policymakers, families, and communities to help New York families access affordable, high-quality child care through the state’s and New York City’s child care support programs. KinderCare also commends Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s commitment to expanding access to child care across New York City and looks forward to partnering on the implementation of these important initiatives to support families.

"Access to affordable, high-quality care is an increasing concern among families and is increasingly a bipartisan priority, like we’ve seen recently in Indiana and New Mexico. We applaud Governor Hochul for listening to parents and making significant strides toward universal child care,” said Patrick Murray, Vice President of Government Affairs at KinderCare. “As a current partner in many of the state and NYC programs, KinderCare is committed to ensuring these expansion efforts reach more families throughout the Empire State.”

About KinderCare Learning Companies™

KinderCare Learning Companies, Inc. (NYSE: KLC) is a leading private provider of early childhood and school-age education and care. KinderCare builds confidence for life in children and families from all backgrounds. KinderCare supports hardworking families in 41 states and the District of Columbia with differentiated flexible child care solutions through its portfolio of brands and services:

• KinderCare^® Learning Centers: early learning programs for children six weeks to 12 years old;
• The Crème School^®: a premium early education experience using a variety of enrichment classrooms;
• Champions^®: before- and after-school programs in local schools, and
• Customized child care benefits in partnership with employers, including child care on or near the site where their parents work, as well as tuition benefits and backup care across all our programs.

Headquartered in Lake Oswego, Oregon, KinderCare operates more than 2,700 early learning centers and sites.