New York’s FY27 State Budget includes several meaningful investments in children and
families, particularly in childcare and early childhood support, and reflects a continued
commitment to strengthening family wellbeing. Yet for far too many New Yorkers, the
challenges that threaten family stability, child wellbeing, and future opportunity remain
unchanged. Across the state, families continue to struggle to access timely mental health
services, secure stable housing, and obtain the supports they need before challenges
escalate into crisis. While this year’s budget includes important investments, it does not
fully meet the scale and urgency of the needs facing children, youth, and families.
This year’s budget includes major investments in childcare, including $3 billion for the
Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), $60 million for universal childcare pilots in
Broome, Dutchess, and Monroe Counties, and $73 million for New York City’s 2-Care
program. These investments represent continued progress toward a more accessible
childcare system, but they do not meet the scale of need across New York State. Families
remain on CCAP waitlists, and providers continue to operate under sustained financial
strain within an unstable system.
Despite historic funding levels, this budget does not go far enough to address the childcare
crisis. Universal childcare cannot be achieved without a stable, adequately compensated
workforce. Yet the system continues to rely on a workforce, overwhelmingly women of color
and immigrants, that remains among the lowest paid in the state. While we recognize the
state’s commitment to expanding access, families still face significant barriers to care, and
providers continue to struggle to keep their doors open.
While the budget includes investments that support family economic security, it falls short
of the bold action needed to meet New York’s statutory goal of reducing child poverty by
50%. With only five years remaining to achieve that goal, the absence of significant
investments aligned with the recommendations of the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory
Council is concerning. As families continue to face the rising cost of living, sustained and
intentional action will be needed to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive.
We are also disappointed that the final budget did not provide additional funding to support
growing demand for WIC services. Participation in WIC has increased significantly in recent
years, yet local agencies have remained largely flat-funded, creating challenges for families
seeking access to these critical nutrition and health supports.
We are particularly disappointed that the budget did not establish the Child and Family
Wellbeing Fund. Even a modest initial investment would have expanded community-based
supports that help families address challenges before they reach crisis, strengthen
protective factors, and reduce unnecessary involvement with child protective systems.
The budget also falls short in addressing the growing behavioral health needs of children
and youth. Families across New York continue to face long waitlists and significant barriers
when seeking mental health services for their children. Although the inclusion of a targeted
inflationary increase for human service providers is a positive step, the budget does not
include the investments needed to strengthen the children’s behavioral health workforce,
expand provider capacity, or improve access to timely care. At a time when New York has
acknowledged the need to strengthen its community-based behavioral health system for
children and youth, these investments remain urgently needed.
In the area of youth justice, we are grateful that state leaders rejected efforts to roll back
Raise the Age and maintained New York’s commitment to approaches that prioritize
rehabilitation, opportunity, and support for young people. However, we are disappointed
that the final budget did not establish the Youth Justice Innovation Fund, which would have
directed existing Raise the Age resources toward community-based programs proven to
prevent harm, reduce incarceration, and improve outcomes for youth.
WCA remains committed to working alongside state leaders, advocates, providers,
parents, and young people to advance policies that ensure every child is healthy, safe, and
prepared for life’s challenges, regardless of race or zip code. We recognize the progress
made in this year’s budget while underscoring that significant work remains to reduce child
poverty, strengthen youth mental health services, support families, and expand opportunity
for all children.
We thank Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins,
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and members of the Legislature for their partnership and
commitment to New York’s children and families, and we look forward to continuing this
work together in the year ahead.
