It’s something people across the state have been struggling to afford – child care. But it could soon become more accessible, thanks to investments in the state budget. State Sen. James Skoufis has been an advocate for strengthening the state’s investment in child care. He says the new plan, which will drastically increase the number of middle-class parents who are eligible, will give much-needed relief to working parents, but it will also allow more parents to get back into the workforce. Skoufis also says the expansion of funding for universal pre-k will help continue those efforts as kids get closer to school age. With so many more people soon to be relying on the state for child care, there may be some confusion when the changes get rolled out, but Skoufis says newly eligible parents who are unfamiliar can reach out to their county administrators for assistance. 

You can watch the full interview with state Senator James Skoufis on our website or the Spectrum News App. And be sure to tune in for a look inside the biggest issues impacting Upstate New York, on In Focus with JoDee Kenney—every Sunday on Spectrum News 1.​