Child Care Pause Leaves Sullivan County Families Without Affordable Options

Since July, families in Sullivan County have faced uncertainty after officials announced a pause on enrollment and recertification for New York State’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) due to a funding shortfall. Parents and providers are now questioning how long the pause will last and what it means for working families who rely on affordable child care.

“It provides funding for low-income families to help pay for child care,” explained Isabel Braverman, Editor of The Sullivan County Democrat. “That means either a daycare or other certified provider. The funding helps to pay for either a partial cost or the total cost of daycare for these families.”

Why CCAP Enrollment Stopped in Sullivan County

The state funds CCAP but recently expanded eligibility, leading to a surge in applications. “A lot more people enrolled in the program and the funding ran out. It couldn’t keep up with the demands,” Braverman said.

Sullivan County Health and Human Services Commissioner John Liddle told the Democrat that while the expansion has helped families and daycares, it also far exceeded expectations. “Their predicted numbers for the amount of children who would be eligible for this funding exceeded their predictions by a lot,” Braverman said.

Local and State Response
The New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) praised Governor Kathy Hochul’s expansion of CCAP, which allowed about 170,000 children statewide to benefit. To help cover rising costs, OCFS released an additional $250,000 to Sullivan County, but Commissioner Liddle said the funds are expected to run out before the end of September.

Because of the funding gap, counties cannot accept new applicants or re-certify families already in the program.

Enrollment Numbers Double in a Year
The demand is clear: according to the Sullivan County Child Care Council, 583 children were enrolled in CCAP in June 2023. By June 2024, enrollment had jumped to 1,344 — more than doubling in just one year.

Impact on Families and Providers

With funding on hold, some families are being forced to make difficult choices.

“A few families have decided to pull their children out of daycare and to leave their jobs to care for their children at home,” Braverman reported.

Daycare owners are also sounding the alarm. Jessica Dean, who owns Jessica’s Daycare in Monticello, described the ripple effect:

“There is a widespread ripple. All of this affects our community as a whole — if people leave their jobs, less people in the workforce, less tax dollars. It’s affecting child care programs. I know one provider who lost 10 kids in two weeks [in Orange County].”

Dean added that disruptions in care hit children especially hard, particularly those with special needs.

Calls for Action
Dean has been pressing state and local officials, including Assembly Member Paula Kay and Congressman Josh Riley, to restore CCAP funding. “She is hopeful that they can get something going to resolve this issue,” Braverman said.

But for now, there’s no clear timeline. “From what I’ve heard, both from Jessica and John Liddle, it’s going to be a while — at least a few months,” Braverman said.

For more updates, visit the Sullivan County Democrat at scdemocratonline.com.

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