New York is poised, the NY Times reports, to become the first city in the US to provide free universal child care and will expand child care in New York City to add programs for two-year-olds. The plan would begin by expanding child care options for nearly 100,000 young children and the governor and mayor proposing to spend $4.5 billion on child care in the upcoming year. The state legislature will still have to approve the governor’s funding requests. Ms. Hochul’s plan for using existing state funds rather than raising taxes significantly increases the chances that the legislature will sign off on it.

The first 2026 newsletter from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) Division of Child Care Services (DCCS) contains some interesting news on Governor Hochul’s ongoing support for new grants for child care construction. Take a look at the programs and the deadlines!