Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the availability of 200 more spots at 12 high-demand SUNY campus child care centers. The expansion of child care accessibility on SUNY campuses is made possible with $1.72 million in additional funding for improvements. The SUNY community colleges that were awarded funds include Broome, Dutchess, Genesee, Hudson Valley, Jamestown, Niagara County, Schenectady, Suffolk County for two locations, Tompkins, Cortland, Ulster, and Westchester.
“Quality child care is the cornerstone of a child’s development and is a crucial investment in the success of our future generations,” Governor Hochul said. “Investing in child care centers on SUNY campuses empowers our students, staff and faculty to pursue a higher education with ease while supporting working families.”
The New York State investment was part of Governor Hochul’s 2023 Budget and her wide-reaching initiative to ensure that students, faculty, and staff on all SUNY campuses have access to high-quality child care centers. Demand for child care spots have risen significantly, and on some campuses, as many as 80 percent of students with dependents report they have trouble meeting their child care needs. This announcement was made today by SUNY Chancellor King during a visit to Niagara County Community College, where he joined President William Murabito to tour the John R. Oishei Child Development Center and speak with student parents and the program director.
During the 2022-2023 academic year, SUNY offered approximately 4,500 child care slots across the 46 SUNY campuses that have a child care center onsite. The centers served 795 student-parents — up from 650 the year before — as well as faculty, staff, and local community members. SUNY campuses invest about $6 million annually to provide child care services. Last year, $10.8 million was allocated to SUNY to address child care deserts as well as fund improvements and expand capacity.
State University of New York Chancellor John B. King said, “Having that college degree is more important than ever to compete for good jobs in New York’s rapidly evolving workplaces, and for many of our students, services like child care are essential for them to earn their spot at graduation. My thanks to Governor Hochul for ongoing support and funding for these services, as well as the leadership on campuses for the care they provide our students and their families, and their ongoing work to build up resources for the communities we serve.”
State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky said, “I am delighted that SUNY will provide additional funding for 12 child daycare centers. Over the last several years the state budget has provided massive increases in aid without increasing tuition for instate students. By providing this support will are removing a significant barrier that many students face in achieving their educational goals. Our investment in on-campus childcare services is one of the many reasons our SUNY system remains among the greatest drivers of economic upward mobility in the entire country. In addition, this will hopefully continue to improve enrollment metrics.”
Assemblymember Patricia Fahy said, “Access to affordable, reliable childcare is a game changer for SUNY students who often balance their academic portfolio while working and providing for their families. As Chair of the Higher Education Committee in the Assembly, I’m committed to ensuring that the transformative funding we secured in last year’s budget, in part, is used to enhance the student experience on campus and provide more resources and support to accomplish that. Thank you to Senate Higher Education Committee Chair Toby Ann Stavisky, SUNY Chancellor John King, and Governor Kathy Hochul for sharing that vision and committing the resources necessary to support our diverse SUNY student body.”
Niagara County Community College President Dr. William J. Murabito said, “Child care can be a barrier to seeking higher education or anyone balancing family and career. Having a child care center right here at Niagara County Community College is a tremendous asset not only for students who are parents, but also our own employees with children. We’re excited about this new funding because it will allow us to dedicate more space to the center, serve more students, and provide a wider range of programming for children across all of their developmental stages.”
About The State University of New York
The State University of New York, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2022, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu.
