By Victor Ocasio

Updated September 30th, 2025

Read on Newsday

Few costs on Long Island are as hefty as the price of child care, with some parents paying as much as $24,000 a year to ensure their child is safe while they are at work.

Parents on Long Island, regardless of income levels, often find covering the cost of child care difficult, and few options to help with the costs, local experts said. Even as the income thresholds that determine which families can receive financial assistance have increased, demand for child care aid, particularly for children 5 or under, remains high.

Although Island residents report higher incomes than the rest of the state and nation, according to U.S. Census Bureau data — the median household income for Nassau was $143,144 in 2024, and $126, 863 in Suffolk, compared with $83,730 for nation and $85,820 statewide — the cost of care represents a significant financial barrier for local families, experts said. 

"The cost of living on Long Island has just increased exponentially and child care just adds to that cost," said Vanessa Baird-Streeter, president and CEO of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island. The nonprofit connects struggling Islanders and their families to local social services.

"In certain instances, child care costs more than our state colleges," she said. "That's difficult for parents to be able to navigate without some assistance from government."

To help parents make ends meet, the state, through federal funding, provides billions of dollars in assistance programs for families that qualify, according to the state comptroller's office.

Here's what to know about the cost of child care and how parents can apply for assistance.

The average price to care for an infant in a day care center is $24,000 per year on Long Island and around $20,000 for a licensed in-home provider to offer 30 hours of care or more a week, according to a 2024 market rate survey conducted by the state Office of Children and Family Services.

"Child care costs more than a year of public college," said Jennifer Rojas, executive director of the Child Care Council of Suffolk, an advocacy group for children and families based in Commack. "With our housing costs on Long Island and everything else, it's just unsustainable."

"We need affordable and consistent child care," said Steven Kent, chief economist for the Long Island Association, a business group. "It's a very important part of creating a viable and vital workforce."

Without access to child care, Kent said, parents often decide that one parent will stay home and care for their children while the other works, which means fewer workers are contributing to local businesses and the region's tax base. For families, that means one less income is available to help pay for expenses, he said.

"Families are juggling housing, food and child care, and a lot of the time juggling whether they can afford to work," said Vicki Sylvain, director of community outreach and engagement for the Child Care Council of Nassau.

Because of the massive need for child care, Sylvain said it's important for government resources to ensure that more parents have access to assistance. 

"It's a challenge that's across the board, not just for the areas that are underserved or have economic challenges," she said. 

Some programs are available to Long Island parents through county governments and nonprofits, but options are limited, Rojas said.

One program that's available is the state's Child Care Assistance Program, which is funded by state and federal dollars and is administered through Social Services departments in Nassau and Suffolk. 

Additionally, regional scholarships are available through nonprofits like the Workforce Development Institute.

CCAP, overseen by the state's Office of Children and Family Servicers, provides financial assistance for families that meet certain income and residency requirements. The program relies on federal dollars, which accounted for three quarters of the roughly $12.9 billion provided by the program to New York State families between April 2015 and March 2025, according to the state comptroller's office. 

The program can cover more than 90% of market rate costs for child care for most families but coverage is based on income and family size, the governor's office said last year. Most families of four who receive the subsidy pay around $15 per week in care.

Families seeking financial aid must not make more than 85% of the state's median income, according to the Office of Children and Family Services.

For a family of three, for example, the state median income is $112,231.56 in 2025, according to the agency. As a result, a family of that size would meet the wage requirements if they earned a combined annual income of $95,396.83 or less.

To determine eligibility for CCAP assistance, visit the state's Child Care Assistance Questionnaire. But even if you believe you are not eligible, Sylvain suggests that interested parents still apply through their local Department of Social Services. 

The Workforce Development Institute, a nonprofit with offices throughout the state, including Long Island, offers scholarships to help with the cost of care.

The institute's Child Care Scholarship Program is limited in its funding and only offers windows to apply during the year, Sylvain said. 

Recipients receive an average monthly scholarship of $1,000 per child to cover the cost of full-time care, the WDI website says.

To qualify for the scholarship, parents with children 5 years old or younger must meet income requirements that are dependent on family size; must be working, enrolled in school or a training program for at least 10 hours per week; and must live outside New York City.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced several investments this year that were included in the state's 2026 budget. Among them are the investment of $400 million to bolster the state's existing CCAP program and $110 million to build or renovate child care centers throughout the state.

The state also announced an increase to the Child Tax Credit that gives eligible parents a $1,000 credit for kids under 4, and a $500 credit for families for kids between 4 and 16 years old.