New York to Expand Childcare Access on <abbr>SUNY</abbr> and <abbr>CUNY</abbr> Campuses
Credit: Pacific Press/Contributor / LightRocket / Getty Images- To expand childcare services, $10.8 million will go to SUNY, and $4.8 million will go to CUNY.
- Students, staff, faculty, state workers, and the community can use the SUNY and CUNY childcare facilities.
- In 2021-2022, SUNY had 46 campuses with childcare, and CUNY had 17.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul last week announced a $15.6 million state investment that will expand childcare access at State University of New York (SUNY) and the City University of New York (CUNY) campuses.
The funding includes $10.8 million to address childcare deserts
across SUNY campuses. And $4.8 million will go toward providing additional childcare services on CUNY campuses.
According to Hochul’s office, this is part of the Democratic governor’s broader initiative to give students, faculty, and staff on SUNY and CUNY campuses access to high-quality childcare.
Expanding high-quality, affordable child care options is an essential piece of creating a more equitable and accessible higher education system for New Yorkers,
Hochul said in a press release.
My administration remains committed to ensuring all parents have access to quality child care, and this funding is a critical step toward ensuring parents have the support they need to pursue a quality education and build a better future for themselves and their families.
Childcare is a massive issue for student-parents across the country.
A BestColleges survey found that 56% of parents have postponed career-related activities due to limited access to childcare. And 59% believe not having access to proper childcare hinders career advancement for working parents.
Increasing Capacity at SUNY Childcare Centers
According to the press release, 80% of students at some SUNY schools struggled with childcare accessibility. SUNY will distribute $7.6 million (70%) of the funds to campuses with the highest need:
- Alfred State
- SUNY Canton
- SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
- Jamestown Community College
- SUNY Old Westbury
- SUNY Sullivan
SUNY will likewise add childcare capacity so that more than 4,800 spots will be available at 46 campus childcare centers.
New York State is making a significant investment in SUNY and our students, and it is our hope that more parents join our campuses and focus on earning their college degree,
SUNY interim Chancellor Deborah F. Stanley said in a statement.
CUNY Adds Childcare Services
CUNY is receiving $4.8 million to expand childcare services on campuses that don’t have centers.
About a quarter of those funds will create a childcare center at Queensborough Community College.
The state gift is the second win for CUNY’s student-parents this year. In July, CUNY distributed $3.1 million to 3,700 student-parents to cover summer session tuition and fees.
Seventeen of 25 CUNY campuses had childcare centers during the 2021-2022 academic year, with 1,400 seats available for school-age and younger children. CUNY will create 100 more seats across all centers, primarily for younger children like infants and toddlers.
Expanding child care services at our colleges means removing a barrier that would otherwise prevent New Yorkers from pursuing a college degree or educating our students,
said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez.
Providing the more than 10 percent of CUNY undergraduate students who are parents with the resources they need to focus on their academic and career goals is just one way that we have their backs.
CUNY childcare centers are open 5-6 days a week, with evening hours as needed. Student-parents can use these centers during the summer and enroll their children at any CUNY campus center.