In 2015, NYC was part of 4 other states implementing a Universal Pre-K for children over 4. It proved to be Successful and in 2017 Mayor de Blasio expanded the program to Impact children 3 and over. This became known as 3-K For All. An Inside Schools report describes It’s a free, full-day preschool for three-year-old’s that follows the same school day and calendar as pre-k. The program started by focusing first on neighborhoods with high concentrations of poverty and then expanding out from there.
  According to New York City Department of Education , All children of this age (3) who are also current New York City residents are welcome to apply, including children currently attending Early Learn or other preschool programs, children with disabilities, children with accessibility needs, children learning English, students in temporary housing, LGBTQ and gender nonconforming children, and children who move to NYC during the admissions process.
It’s a good start to providing families with child care and thousands of children with early education opportunities. However, Universal 3-K should not just stop in NYC, the entire state of New York would benefit from this program. 3-K For All is currently available in poverty- stricken neighborhoods throughout NYC. There are poverty-stricken neighborhoods all throughout New York State. According to a Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy study focused on improving New York child welfare outcomes , the state’s three largest, and most geographically and demographically diverse cities—New York City, Buffalo and Rochester—all share high percentages of child poverty, 28.8%, 47.7% and 50.3%. I happen to live in a town (Hempstead) where 20 percent of the population is living in poverty. I believe New York State has the capacity to not only provide early education for all, but universal day care as well.
Children have a right to an education and their basic needs being met. Universal day care can help parents ensure that their children's needs are being met properly while they are away.  It also does not seem fair and just that only some children in the same state have access to 3-K For All and other’s do not just because of where they live. New York City shows us that is possible to implement programs such as 3-K For All and have them succeed. 3-K For All not only benefits children and families, but poor, low income children and families that are more often minorities. NYC.gov outlines Mayor de Blasio’s 3-K roll out plans, but also future plans for birth to five care. This should be an idea not limited to just one region of New York.
Kids Count  data book found that approximately 803,000 children under 18 living in poverty in New York State. 706,000 live in high poverty areas. As of 2017, approximately 200,000 children between the ages of 3 and 4, were not in any school based programs. 3-K should be available for these children as well. 3-K and universal day care programs not only gives young children a head start in education, but these programs provide safe and adequate child care for working families. It allows for more parents to be able to go to work. It is one less problem to worry about that helps the foundation of the family and the future of the child. 
The Economic Policy Institute found that New York State residents yearly cost for childcare is an average of $15,394. New York is ranked 6th out of the 50 States on most expensive child care. NYC.gov has reported that parents with children enrolled in free, full-day pre-K save an average of $10,000 annually on childcare costs, and an NYU study found that Pre-K for All makes it more likely that a low-income child in New York City is properly diagnosed with asthma or vision problems, and receives screening or treatment for hearing or vision problems. These benefits should be open to all New York Families. Universal daycare and 3-K are child welfare focused programs, but they also can be preventive at the same time. They help ease financial burdens for families and if implemented correctly, could help families avoid child welfare cases related to risk factors of poverty.
In NYC.gov, explains that one of the actions taken to implement 3-K across New York City, was having partnerships with community based organizations child care agencies, and family child care providers. The rest of New York State could begin to operate the same way in partnering with organizations, agencies, and providers. The Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy study on all New York children being able to have the opportunity to thrive, outlined a detailed proposal on how New York State can expand access to affordable child care, Pre-K and early learning opportunities. I think they have outlined strong ideas of making universal childcare into a reality and a few points are explained below.
One way would be to work with the newly created Child Care Availability Task Force toward advancing a comprehensive plan to restructure and equitably expand access to quality child care to all NY families that need it. This also calls for support and fair pay to child care educators and serving all children, including children with special needs, children of all cultures, immigrant children and infants and toddlers.
Another important step is increasing state funding to counties for child care subsidies and program operation to expand equitable access to quality child care to more working families. One of these funding proposals is a $26 million to revise the copayment formula so that no family receiving a child care subsidy contributes more than 20% of its gross income exceeding the poverty level as the parent share while maintaining the number of families receiving subsidies. This will help ensure that no family pays the high cost of childcare outlined earlier.                                          Other points include to increase State funding to stabilize the child care workforce and infrastructure by reinstating the 75th percentile formula for setting reimbursement rates, and increasing funding. Lastly is to strengthen the child and dependent care tax credit to better reflect the true cost of care.  
The goal is that one day universal child care and early education would be available across the United States, but New York can be the starting point and pave the way for the future. The Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy discusses High-quality child care, pre-K and other early learning opportunities can significantly improve educational outcomes for the long-term, and reduce disparities. Research shows that the achievement gap appears long before children reach Kindergarten, and can be evident as early as nine months.
The evidence is there that these programs can achieve their intended goals and that proper child welfare services can exist to improve the lives of children and families. The article on NYC.gov, explains that “creating a unified birth-to-five early care and education system will benefit children, families, and providers. It will lead too consistent, high-quality standards, greater curricular alignment from early childhood through second grade, a single contracting relationship and set of supports for early childhood education providers, integrated data collection, and seamless connections between early childhood development and 3K-12 education.” This petition calls for Governor Cuomo and New York Sate representatives to put words into action and make universal daycare and 3-K a reality for all New York State.