The provision of adequate child care is essential to keeping New York families active in the labor force. OCFS supports a comprehensive system to provide quality child care is affordable, accessible and available in New York State.

The agency regulates and inspects child care providers, funds the establishment of new child care programs, assists providers in improving the quality of care, helps families locate child care through a statewide network of resource and referral services, and helps low-income families obtain child care through subsidies paid directly to them or their child care provider. Get more information here.

New York State Office of Children and Family Services changes regulations for child care periodically. When this happens, they issue  Policy Statements.