WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D- NY) said in New York alone, nearly two-thirds of people live in communities lack adequate access to childcare. She’s sponsoring legislation that aims to fix a shortage of affordable childcare.  

The Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act would provide one-hundred million in federal funding over five years for states to build or expand childcare facilities. New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced her proposal of over one-hundred million to build new childcare facilities or repair existing ones in the state. The Senator says this could help the Governor reach that goal.  

The legislation would also help address a shortage of childcare workers, which she said would also help parents who want to stay in the workforce.   

“It would also help increase the availability of affordable childcare including during non-traditional work hours and help improve retention and compensation for quality professionals,” said Sen. Gillibrand. 

The legislation provides competitive workforce development grants and facilities grants to states. It could help with job training activities like offering scholarships or tuition subsidies and fund construction or renovation of childcare facilities, just to name a few.