Bill > A00492

This bill establishes a permanent Child Care Workforce Pay Equity Fund to improve compensation and working conditions for child care workers in New York State. The fund will receive $1.2 billion and will be managed by the Office of Children and Family Services, with funds distributed to child care providers based on specific criteria. Providers must accept families using the New York child care assistance program and agree to specific compensation requirements. At least 75% of the funds must be used to increase compensation for direct caregivers, with 10% allocated to administrators and owners, and the remaining funds used at the program's discretion. The bill requires the development of a minimum compensation scale for child care workers, aiming to bring their wages closer to those of public school educators. The fund will prioritize providers serving children receiving subsidies, high-needs children, and unique populations, with a formula that considers factors like licensed capacity, enrollment, employee compensation, and demographics of families served. Larger for-profit providers will be deprioritized unless they can demonstrate a clear benefit to the workforce. The Office of Children and Family Services must submit annual reports on fund expenditures and publish a minimum compensation scale by consulting with various stakeholders, including labor departments, unions, and child care advocacy groups.

Education

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A492