Last year, the Governor’s FY26 State Budget put up to $5,000 back in New Yorkers’ pockets by providing inflation refund checks to more than 8.2 million residents, enacting the largest expansion of the child tax credit in state history, lowering middle class taxes to their lowest rate in 70 years, and providing free school meals to all students. This year’s Executive Budget promises to build on that progress by reducing the cost of auto insurance, putting New York on a path to deliver universal child care, cutting red tape to build needed housing and holding the line on skyrocketing utility costs.

Highlights of the Governor's FY27 Budget include:

Delivering Universal Child Care Across New York

Since taking office, Governor Hochul has invested more than $8 billion in child care, dramatically expanding access and laying the groundwork for the implementation of universal childcare statewide. This year, the Governor announced $4.5 billion for childcare and early education, including a $1.7 billion increase in investment that will make pre-K truly universal and expand child care subsidies to tens of thousands of families.

Additionally, the Governor’s proposal includes partnerships with counties in building out new child care pilots that offer high-quality affordable care to families, regardless of income. This pilot program will include a total of $60 million in State funding for programming, along with new investments from each of the three counties, as they expand child care access with a particular focus on serving children ages 0-3.