Democratic 38th District State Senate candidate Joe Rand today applauded Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) for dramatically increasing Childcare Assistance Program (CCAP) funding for Rockland County and adopting a revised allocation methodology that places greater emphasis on current demand and recent utilization.
Under a new OCFS allocation announced this week, Rockland County will receive $18.7 million in childcare assistance funding for 2026-27, representing nearly a 70% increase over last year’s allocation and approximately a 68% increase over the county’s 2024-25 funding level.
The increase follows months of advocacy by Rand, local educators, childcare providers, and community leaders who argued that the state’s allocation formula relied too heavily on historical claims data and failed to adequately reflect Rockland’s current needs.
Earlier this year, Rand authored and circulated a policy memorandum entitled “Rockland Needs a Fair Share Allocation of CCAP Funding,” which documented what he called Rockland’s “Allocation Gap,” defined as the difference between Rockland’s share of children living in poverty and its share of statewide childcare funding. The memorandum was shared with local officials, childcare advocates, and Governor Hochul’s budget team.
“Rockland has one of the youngest populations in New York State and one of the highest concentrations of children living in poverty, yet for years our county received a disproportionately small share of childcare funding,” said Rand. “I am grateful that Governor Hochul and her team listened to concerns raised by communities like ours and took meaningful steps to modernize the allocation process.”
Under the revised methodology, OCFS moved away from relying primarily on older historical allocation patterns and instead incorporated more recent utilization and claims activity into the funding formula. While the state did not adopt every recommendation contained in Rand’s Fair Share Allocation proposal, the changes are consistent with the broader goal of ensuring that funding better reflects present-day need.
“We do not know whether our advocacy directly influenced this decision,” Rand said. “What we do know is that local educators, childcare providers, parents, advocates, and elected officials worked together to elevate this issue, and the result is a substantial increase in funding for Rockland families. That’s something worth celebrating.”
Rand emphasized that affordable childcare is both an economic and educational issue. Childcare assistance helps working parents remain in the workforce, supports children’s early learning and development, and strengthens local economies.
“This funding will help more Rockland families access safe, affordable childcare and give parents the support they need to work, attend school, and provide for their children,” Rand said. “Governor Hochul deserves real credit for making childcare a priority and for increasing state investment in working families across New York.”
Rand also noted that additional reforms may still be warranted in future years to ensure that county allocations fully reflect child poverty levels, demographic growth, regional childcare costs, and unmet demand.
“This is an important step forward, but the work continues,” Rand said. “Our goal remains simple: every county should receive a fair share of childcare funding based on the needs of its families. This year’s increase moves us closer to that goal, and I look forward to continuing that conversation with the Governor, OCFS, and our local partners.”
