Universal Childcare has been one of the key priorities for Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez since she took office.

She is the prime sponsor with Council Member Kevin Riley of the Universal Childcare bill in the New York City Council.

• The journey to create universal child care infrastructure began with extensive research in 2022, involving discussions with over 20 organizations and 5+ municipalities worldwide.
• This laid the groundwork for the drafting phase from September 2022 to February 2023, during which multiple drafts were developed with central staff and feedback from various groups.
• By March 2023, the legislation was introduced with significant press coverage and a rally. The momentum continued from April to June 2023 as the UCC coalition focused on specific childcare-related wins in the FY24 budget.
• The summer of 2023 was dedicated to building coalition and preparing for a September hearing, which served as a platform to highlight the key concerns facing parents and caregivers.
• The legislation was reintroduced in early 2024 – and we successfully used the coalition to secure meaningful budget wins in the face of cuts to the childcare industry from Mayor Adams.
• During those budget fights, over 15 major labor organizations signed onto a letter urging the mayor to invest in childcare funding.
• We are continuing to build out coalition but hosting more roundtables across the city with different industries.

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