BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Governor Kathy Hochul announced that nearly $70 million in grant funding has been awarded to newly licensed, registered or permitted child care programs in areas of the state without sufficient child care slots, known as child care deserts.
The funds, which are part of the $100 million child care desert initiative approved in the Fiscal Year 2022 Enacted Budget, were made available through the American Rescue Plan Act and are administered by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.
The grants will help new child care providers in underserved areas build their programs, cover start-up and personnel costs, recruit, train, and retain staff, and support staff in accessing COVID-19 vaccines.
