SULLIVAN COUNTY – The Childcare Assistance Program (CCAP) is still on pause in Sullivan County, after being shut down to new applicants on July 1. 

The program, which provides financial assistance to low-income families to help pay for childcare, was expanded last year as part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s plan to increase access to childcare in the state. 

But with a higher income threshold to meet eligibility requirements, more families signed on and there wasn’t enough funding to keep up. 

Now, Sullivan County Health Commissioner John Liddle says provisions in the proposed 2026-2027 state budget may help to bring more money back into the program.

“We’re definitely encouraged,” he said. “I unfortunately don’t have a lot of specifics I can share yet, because it’s all pre-decisional until the budget makes it through the legislature.”

During Hochul’s presentation of the budget childcare was top of mind—she is working on universal pre-kindergarten in New York City with Mayor Zohran Mamdani and proposed a pilot program in three New York counties. 

The proposed budget, Liddle said, includes $150 million to help pay counties that ran out of funds for CCAP, which in Sullivan was triple the amount over the year prior. 

“We ended up spending a lot more than we were allocated because we were encouraged by the state to get the program open and available to as many people as possible,” Liddle said.

Until the budget is adopted, the county doesn’t know how much of that allocation it will receive.

With childcare top of mind, two weeks ago an advocacy day was held in Albany, where providers from across the state spoke to legislators on a variety of topics, including CCAP and universal pre-k.

“It was important to me to make sure the legislators were aware that 29 counties are without funding,” said Jessica Dean, owner of Jessica’s Daycare in Monticello. “We want to make sure this push for universal childcare is equitable.” 

Dean has been advocating for funding to be restored to CCAP since it was paused in July, and is in regular contact with other providers, families and county officials. 

In a memo from the Empire State Campaign for Child Care, they called on the state to ensure CCAP funding is ongoing and distributed to counties in an equitable manner without delay.

“Counties must be assured the new level of funding will continue to be confident they can accept new CCAP families, and families must be able to rely on ongoing support to balance their family budgets,” the organization said. 

Dean received impact statements from parents to share with legislators during advocacy day, to deliver their messages if they had their CCAP stopped.

“This may be the only assistance a family gets in keeping afloat, especially in the trying economic times we have right now,” she said.

One of those parents is Rose Chateau, a Narrowsburg resident who has a three-year-old daughter. Rose and her husband are chefs, so they are often working and came to rely on daycare once they began receiving CCAP. 

But when their subsidy ended in January, now they are unsure of the future. 

“This is not an economy where just one parent can work,” she said. “Not everybody has family that can watch their kids, and not everybody has a nine-to-five job. I think we should open up the funding to weekends and various hours.”

With CCAP being taken away, she said, “It’s going to be like having another car payment. We are homeowners, I have to save up to fix my roof. I’m worried about that.”

She hopes to see funding restored not just to help her family, but for all families.

“I feel for all the other parents too,” she said. “This is a bipartisan issue, no matter Democrat or Republican, this is for the kids.”

Liddle encouraged families to reach out to his office if they are eligible for CCAP, even though it’s closed right now, to make sure they know how many people would be applying. 

“I sympathize with everybody [parents and providers],” he said. “I’m really encouraged by what the state is doing for working families to make care more accessible. But we’re in a transition period here… and it’s stressful for everybody.”