Child Care

A strong child care system is the backbone of a strong city—with it, parents can work, care providers earn a living wage, and children don’t get left behind. Robin Hood is fighting for New York's youngest to have a strong start in life.

450

K

The number of children living below the poverty line in NYC

50

%

Half of NYC neighborhoods are considered child care deserts, with at least three children under the age of five per available slot in registered home-based providers or day care centers

21

%

Of NYC parents experienced at least one form of child care hardship; 16% of parents stopped using childcare or cut hours due to cost, and 14% resorted to child care they felt was inadequate due to cost

Solutions We’re Funding

Grantee Spotlight

All Our Kin is working to close the child care equity gap by improving the availability of high-quality child care in NYC neighborhoods where it's needed most.

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All Our Kin, Robin Hood Grantee

Children living in poverty lack access to the necessary health, learning, and socio-emotional resources needed to thrive. In many low-income neighborhoods, high-quality child care is hard to find and unaffordable for families in need.

Our grantee, All Our Kin, is working to close the child care equity gap by providing training in early childhood education, business management, and leadership skills for family child care providers to improve the availability of high-quality child care in high-need areas, like the South Bronx. Learn more about our grantees. 

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Programs & Special Initiatives

In 2025, Robin Hood improved the quality and stability of more than 1,200 child care programs through proven coaching, staff training, and business support. We also expanded access to affordable care — enabling 2,500 families to use cost-lowering vouchers and helping more than 140,000 families apply for public child care assistance and Pre-K/3-K seats.

Early Childhood

The Early Childhood program targets our grantmaking to support mothers, infants, toddlers, and caregivers.

Early Childhood

Fund for Early Learning (FUEL)

The FUEL initiative empowers NYC parents and caregivers by supporting nonprofits that provide vital resources, education, and opportunities for the healthy development of young children.

Fund for Early Learning

Child Care Quality and Innovation Initiative (CCQII)

CCQII drives improvements in the NYC child care ecosystem to support high quality, accessibility, and innovation in early childhood education and support services.

Child Care Quality and Innovation Initiative

Policies We Support

Access

Streamlining enrollment efforts so more eligible New Yorkers receive child care assistance.

Ensuring parents who work variable hours can access child care by ending the state’s practice of tying child care assistance to parents’ exact hours of work.

Affordability

Increasing child care subsidies to lessen the financial burden on families.

Quality

Supporting training initiatives that strengthen the child care workforce, and advocate for better pay.