Supporting working caregivers is key to empowering women, as caregiving responsibilities are frequently disproportionately performed by women. The demands of caregiving can lead to significant career interruptions, reduced earning potential, and limited access to professional networks and development opportunities—all of which are essential for long-term success and career progression. Amplify Her® Foundation envisions workplaces that offer clear pathways for women to both return to the workforce and advance into leadership roles. Consequently, affordable universal childcare, flexible work policies, inclusive leadership pipelines, and workforce reentry programs or “returnships,” serve as essential components of supporting women’s leadership.
Advocate for affordable, expanded access to childcare
Implementation Strategy: Mobilize policymakers to support sustainable funding models for universal, affordable childcare policies.
Childcare costs are a significant burden for many working families, limiting women's participation in the workforce and contributing to economic inequality. New York has various childcare assistance programs, but these programs often fall short of meeting cumulative childcare demands. Focus group participants discussed successful child care subsidy models from other countries, where childcare is considered a universal right following paid family leave. Participants emphasized that elements of a successful child care system should include more robust and inclusive subsidy programs supporting families across varying income levels.
At the city level, The New York City Mayor’s Office has supported expanding childcare access in New York City and has celebrated the allocation of $4 billion for childcare in the state budget, emphasizing the importance of affordable, high-quality childcare for working families. The Mayor’s Office has also introduced several bills to increase childcare accessibility and support providers, including establishing the Mayor’s Office for Childcare and PromiseNYC which provides childcare access to undocumented individuals in New York City. 3-K and Pre-K programs offer free childcare for 3-year olds and 4-year olds. Additional supplementary initiatives, such as The Women.NYC Childcare Innovation Lab, aim to support working families, by encouraging employers to adopt family-friendly policies, and advocating for investments and innovation in the care economy.
At the state level, Governor Hochul has supported significant investments in childcare, including $7 billion allocated in the state budget for childcare services, of which $4 billion was designated for New York City. She has also pushed for tax incentives to create more childcare seats across New York City.
To advocate for affordable, universal childcare, advocates can mobilize policymakers to fund policy frameworks to cumulatively expand access to childcare.
Bills at the state level have had substantial grassroots, labor, political, and non-profit support, with this support expanding throughout each legislative session. While both New York City and state executive branches have made childcare a priority, neither has provided the needed funding for a more inclusive and comprehensive childcare program resulting in an approximately $17 billion gap.
Proposed legislation regarding child care includes:
Int. 0201-24: The proposed bill would create an Office of Child Care and charge the office with improving and expanding child care across the city, including by establishing free child care for all city residents no later than four years after the effective date of the local law.
S.3245/A.4815: This legislation Establishes the universal child care act to provide for the establishment and funding of universal child care in the state of New York; relates to the effectiveness of the child care availability taskforce; makes an appropriation therefore.
Implementation Strategy: Partner with government agencies to develop government-sponsored reentry/returnship programs that offer job training, career counseling, and job placement services tailored to women’s needs.
Re-entering the workforce or switching career paths can be individually challenging for women, especially for those who have not been formally employed for extended periods. Our research results highlighted the high costs associated with transition periods, including childcare expenses and acquiring new professional attire. Focus group participants emphasized the importance of holistic programs that not only provide advanced training but also address these additional financial burdens to significantly ease the transition for women re-entering the workforce.
To support returnships for women, advocates can support funding for women-focused workforce reentry programs, and share expertise, knowledge and best practices with New York City and state agencies to develop workforce reentry programming once funding is secured.
At the city level, allocating and funding reentry or returnship programs can be done through the New York City budget process and would be supported by leveraging relationships and building partnerships with the New York City Council Committee on Women and Gender Equity, and the New York City Council Committee on Finance. Exploring successful models from entities like Women.NYC could supplement program development processes.
