This week, New York state Senate Democrats came out with a proposed budget that would commit $889 million to raising wages for child care workers.
That's nearly double the $389 million in temporary grants Governor Kathy Hochul originally proposed in her state budget.
The median wage in the child care industry is about $15 statewide, per Department of Labor statistics.
Policy advocate Katie Albitz of the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, said low wages have led to chronic staff shortages and have made it difficult for parents to find care for their youngest children.
"People are constantly leaving and programs are closing their doors, which we've seen as a rolling issue for like a decade or more in the Southern Tier," Albitz said.
Albitz, a former child care worker, is now part of a coalition of advocates calling for the state to commit $1.2 billion to increasing wages for child care workers.
Both Hochul and state lawmakers also said they want to raise the income limits that determine who is eligible for subsidized child care.
But Albitz said without any changes to address chronically low wages and labor shortages, changes to eligibility formulas would be an "empty promise".
Currently, only a fraction of parents who are eligible for child care subsidies are using them.
"If there is low uptake for families, it's because there are not enough child care slots in their area," Albitz said. "It is a direct correlation and tied to the low wages of the workforce."
Albitz said low wages have driven workers out of the child care industry. Fewer workers means programs have to reduce the number of children they serve.
She said ultimately, increasing caregiver wages would make it easier for parents to get their kids into a child care program.