Governor Kathy Hochul and Micron Technology, Inc. announced new details regarding the company’s child care commitments in Central New York. This initiative is a part of Micron’s historic $100 billion investment to create a semiconductor manufacturing campus in Onondaga County, which is projected to bring up to 50,000 jobs. On-site daycare facilities will be developed for Micron employees on land the company has purchased in Clay.
Micron’s child care efforts extend beyond the workplace. The company has already invested $250,000 in early childhood education, impacting almost 2,000 children in the region. An additional $250,000 will be devoted to child care for children up to five years old. Furthermore, Micron announced funding for the Early Childhood Career Pathways Program, administered by Childcare Solutions and PEACE Inc., to enable and expand family home child care centers, a move benefiting many providers, primarily women and minorities.
The new announcement follows the inaugural meeting of the Central New York Community Engagement Committee, a group focused on developing priorities for the $500 million Green CHIPs Community Investment Fund. Governor Hochul’s Green CHIPS Act, signed into law in August 2022, obliges semiconductor manufacturers to ensure affordable, reliable child care in communities where they operate. The committee will work with community leaders and stakeholders to define priorities for community investment, including a commissioned study to understand the Central New York housing market, slated to begin in late 2023.
Micron’s child care commitment is part of a larger trend in New York State to address the issue of child care accessibility and affordability. The FY 2023 State Budget earmarked $7 billion over four years for quality child care, an essential component for the state’s economic recovery. Stakeholders from various sectors, including local government and business, praised the concerted efforts to enhance child care infrastructure in Central New York, ensuring the alignment of economic growth and quality of life for working families.
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