New York Launched Child Care Cost-Share Pilot
New York state has launched a pilot program to split infant care costs between families, employers, and the state.
Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Child Care
Live Poll
Do you believe employers should offer childcare subsidies to help their employees with rising costs?
New York has introduced the Empire State Child Care Share pilot program in the Buffalo region and Capital District to assist working families. The initiative is funded by $4.8 million from the state and targets child care affordability for working parents.
Why it matters
The program addresses recruitment and retention challenges by lowering costs for employees who cite childcare access as a primary concern. It shifts the financial burden by splitting monthly expenses three ways.
The state has committed $4.8 million to the program, which offsets the $1,500 monthly cost of full-time infant care by splitting it equally among the state, the employer, and the family.
The players
Catholic Health
A healthcare provider that has participated in the pilot by selecting ten employees for childcare benefits.
Child Care Resource Network
An organization based in North Buffalo that coordinates employer enrollment for the childcare pilot program.
The details
Under this model, the state, employer, and family each contribute to the total cost of childcare. Employers interested in joining the initiative must register through the Child Care Resource Network. At Catholic Health, participating employees were selected through a random drawing to receive these benefits.
Timeline
September 28, 2026: Official news regarding the pilot program launch.
The Home Front
This program marks a shift toward collaborative, tripartite funding models for child care in New York. It contrasts with traditional private-pay models by formalizing employer and state contributions as a recruitment tool.
If you live in the Buffalo or Capital District regions, check with your human resources department to see if your employer is participating in the pilot. Families should track their monthly childcare expenses and compare them against these new state-subsidized options.
The takeaway
The program utilizes a three-way cost-split to make full-time infant care more manageable for participating families. Reach out to your employer to determine if they intend to join the state network or inquire about similar benefits programs for the coming year.
Further reading
Learn more about local initiatives and state support for families in our Child Care section.
More information
Employers can review participation requirements by accessing the employer agreement forms.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WKBW.
Live Poll
Do you believe employers should offer childcare subsidies to help their employees with rising costs?
