As someone who has dedicated my life to serving children and families across New York, I know that affordable child care is not a luxury — it is a lifeline. It enables parents to work, provides children with critical early education, and strengthens the very fabric of our communities. For families trying to build a better life, access to reliable, affordable child care isn’t optional, it’s essential.
That’s why, since Day One, the Adams administration has been laser-focused on making New York City the best place to raise a family. That means creating opportunities for all children to thrive, regardless of their family’s income or zip code. It means removing systemic barriers that have long placed low-income and working-class families at a disadvantage when it comes to accessing the resources they need. And it means expanding access to early care and education so that more families — especially those who need it most — aren’t left behind.
Thanks to the strong partnership and support of the state Office of Children and Family Services — where I previously served as acting commissioner — families across the city and state have seen child care assistance expand significantly through low-income vouchers. This expansion has been nothing short of transformational. Thousands of parents, many of whom were once unable to afford child care, are now able to place their children in safe, nurturing environments at no cost or for a minimal co-pay.
This change has made an immediate and measurable difference in people’s lives. Furthermore, we’ve reduced the average weekly co-payment for a family earning $55,000 annually from $55 to just $5 — a more than 10-fold reduction that frees up money for groceries, rent, transportation, and other basic needs. That kind of impact goes far beyond numbers on a spreadsheet. It means peace of mind for parents, stability for children, and greater economic mobility for entire communities.
But now, we face a critical moment that threatens to reverse this progress. For more than two years, the Adams administration has been sounding the alarm to the state about an impending funding cliff that could strip tens of thousands of children of access to these essential supports in the next fiscal year.
It is vital that New York State continues to support the families benefiting from the Child Care Assistance Program — which the state has funded and regulated since inception, and which the city administers. Without additional funding, the consequences will be felt throughout New York City, and across the entire state.
Child care providers — many of whom are small business owners and women of color — could face destabilizing enrollment drops. Parents, especially single mothers and low-wage workers, may be forced to cut back their hours, leave their jobs, or place their children in suboptimal care. Families will, once again, face impossible choices between making ends meet and ensuring safe care for their children.
It was with strong encouragement from Albany that the reach of this program expanded dramatically. Between June 2022 and February 2025, the number of children benefiting from these vouchers surged by approximately 750%, from 7,400 to nearly 63,000. We’re proud of our work, and we’re proud of the partnership that helped make it possible — and we are now urgently calling on our partners in Albany to protect these critical resources.
Since the start of the legislative session in January, our senior leadership has held more than 200 meetings with state lawmakers — alongside countless virtual calls — to advocate for our priorities in the state budget, including continued funding for ACS vouchers. And our efforts are making an impact.
Following a meeting with the Assembly Ways and Means Committee staff, the Assembly added $213 million for child care vouchers to their one-house budget proposal. This is an encouraging step, and we are grateful to all the city and state legislators who have recognized the stakes. But we are not yet where we need to be.
At a time when the affordability crisis in New York City is straining working families like never before, we cannot allow our youngest and most vulnerable New Yorkers to suffer the consequences. We will continue to push, to advocate, and to fight for the families who depend on these resources, because every child care voucher represents more than a financial subsidy — it represents hope, opportunity, and the promise of a brighter future. And this is about protecting the foundation of a just and thriving New York City — one where every child, no matter their background, gets a fair shot.
Miles-Gustave is New York City’s deputy mayor for health and human services.
