MCC Daily Tribune
SUNY Chancellor King Announces Expansion of Child Care Service at Monroe and Dutchess Community Colleges
State Funding Will Extend Child Care Hours at Dutchess and Monroe Community Colleges to Align with Schedules of High-Demand Programs and Support for Student Parents, Building On SUNY’s Efforts to Remove Barriers to Student Success and Increase Access to High-Quality Child Care.
Albany, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced Thursday child care service extensions at Dutchess Community College and Monroe Community College to further support adult learners. Through SUNY funding provided in the enacted State budget, both community colleges will extend their child care services to include evenings to align with the schedules of high-demand programs, including SUNY Reconnect courses.
“Access to affordable, high-quality child care is essential to ensuring student parents can pursue their degrees and advance in their careers,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “SUNY is proud to help student parents as SUNY works to further support adult learners at all of our campuses. As more adult learners attend classes at SUNY, especially thanks to the successful SUNY Reconnect program, we will continue to take action to help these New Yorkers succeed on their path to upward mobility.”
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “SUNY’s child care centers are a vital resource for student parents as they focus on their academic pursuits and take the next steps in upward mobility. We thank Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature for their steadfast support of SUNY’s efforts to increase child care access for our students and their families.”
Dutchess Community College President Peter Grant Jordan said, “We are proud to partner with SUNY to expand access to evening child care services at Dutchess Community College. Safe, affordable child care on campus is one of the most powerful ways we can remove barriers for parenting students and adult learners in college. SUNY's investment strengthens our ability to support SUNY Reconnect students and others enrolled in our programs. This expansion reinforces our shared commitment to offering opportunities for growth and advancing upward mobility to our service area and throughout New York State. We are deeply grateful to Governor Hochul, Chancellor King, and the SUNY Board of Trustees for their continued leadership and recognition of the critical role community colleges play in student success.”
Monroe Community College President DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna said, “We are thrilled and grateful for SUNY and Governor Kathy Hochul’s sustained support of our efforts to help adult students achieve their dreams throughout educational attainment. As a pioneer in delivering affordable and accessible child care to college students, this funding will allow MCC to extend our services into the evening hours, when many adult learners are enrolled in classes. Evening child care will help reduce the burden for many of these student parents so they can focus on their studies.”
New York State Office of Children and Family Services Commissioner DaMia Harris-Madden said, “Governor Hochul keenly understands the compromises that are made too often by parents who grapple with life’s competing priorities of work, school, and child care. This initiative supports the notion that when child care is within reach, parents are better positioned to persist, complete their coursework, and build stronger futures for their families. We are excited by this powerful, efficacious support that allows parents to fully engage in their education, especially during evenings and weekends.”
The program will award funding over two years for Dutchess Community College and Monroe Community College to implement child care services during evenings and weekends and better align with the schedules of adult learners and student parents in high-demand programs. Dutchess Community College will offer two weeknights of child care and Monroe Community College will offer extended child care hours Monday through Thursday, both beginning in Fall 2026.
The expansion of child care hours at the two community colleges will support adult learners enrolled in Governor Kathy Hochul’s SUNY Reconnect initiative, which provides free tuition, fees, books, and supplies for adults ages 25-55 who don’t already have a college degree and want to pursue an associate degree in a high-demand field.
The program to extend child care services at Dutchess Community College and Monroe Community College builds on SUNY’s ongoing efforts to remove barriers to student success and increase access to high-quality on campus child care. In 2022, Governor Hochul announced $10.8 million in funding to address child care deserts across SUNY campuses, fund improvements, and expand capacity. As part of the $10.8 million investment, SUNY announced in 2024 the opening of a child care center at Jamestown Community College, which offered nearly 50 spots during the school year and 100 throughout the summer months for students’ children. In 2023, Governor Hochul also announced the availability of 200 spots at 12 high-demand SUNY campus child care centers, made possible through $1.72 million in funding for improvements to child care at SUNY.
State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “Access to child care should never be a barrier to receiving a high-quality education. Thanks to SUNY Chancellor King, students at Monroe Community College will no longer have to balance class and finding child care services for their young ones. Proud to support this initiative and the continued support of our students and their families.”
State Senator Robert G. Rolison said, “Affordable, reliable child care is essential for student parents pursuing education and career training. This funding will extend child care hours at Dutchess Community College, removing a major barrier and helping more families access the opportunities they deserve. As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Children and Families, I’m proud to support investments that make child care more accessible and affordable.”
State Assemblymember Didi Barrett said, “I am delighted that Dutchess Community College will be extending their child care services to include weeknights and weekends, allowing more parents to achieve their academic and professional dreams without worrying about finding child care this announcement follows the Governor’s recent investment of $20 million for child care in Dutchess County, and $1 million in funding my office secured to allow Dutchess Community College to offer infant care for the first time. I thank SUNY for their support of these extended childcare hours, and their partnership in our efforts to create truly universal child care.”
State Assemblymember Sarah Clark said, “Child care is the economic building block parents need to work or enroll in higher education opportunities. Today’s announcement expanding child care opportunities for students enrolled at MCC is about breaking down barriers that far too often keep people out of new career pathways. We know students succeed when their basic needs are met. Extending child care at MCC to include evening hours is the exact type of investment that will make a difference for families. I am grateful to Chancellor King for his continued support of our community colleges and the student parents enrolled in programs.”
State Assemblymember Demond Meeks said, “This expansion of child care services at Monroe Community College is a meaningful step forward for student parents and adult learners in our community. Often, the biggest barrier to completing a degree is not motivation or ability, but access to reliable and affordable child care. By extending hours to align with high-demand programs and SUNY Reconnect courses, we are meeting students where they are and supporting their success both inside and outside the classroom. Investing in child care supports economic mobility, workforce development, and stronger families. I commend SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr., Governor Kathy Hochul, and our partners at Monroe Community College for recognizing that when we remove barriers for student parents, we open doors of opportunity for entire communities.”
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit the SUNY website (suny.edu).
Veronica Chiesi Brown
Community Relations
02/20/2026