Saratoga awarded child care funding

NEW YORK >> Saratoga is among 17 localities across New York State being awarded child care funding.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the award of $20 million in federal funding to expand the Child Care Assistance program in New York State. The $1,000,000 Saratoga is receiving, will go toward funding to reduce or eliminate wait lists for subsidized child care or to fund innovative child care programming that will expand available child care slots.

The funding, administered by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, is for child care services provided from now through September of 2021.

This allocation of funding for child care builds upon Cuomo’s record of historic investment of more than $800 million to help low-income New Yorkers access high-quality, affordable child care.

“No family should have to choose between working or having quality child care and no employer should lose workforce productivity due to a lack of affordable child care,” Cuomo said.

Cuomo created the Child Care Availability Task Force to examine innovative approaches to affordability and access to child care.

“I know how important affordable, reliable child care is for a woman who is trying to advance in the workplace but needs to know her children are in a safe, educational and nurturing environment,” Lieutenant Governor and Co-Chair of the NYS Child Care Availability Task Force Kathy Hochul said.

“Expanding the number of subsidized child care slots will increase employment opportunities for low-income families throughout the state,” Hochul noted.