U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is joining New York City parents and advocacy groups Sunday, as part of an effort to change the federal tax system to make child care more accessible for working parents.
Gillibrand says she's proposing legislation that would more than double the federal childcare tax credit, and also make it refundable.
She says new data from the state Office of Child and Family Services show the average New York City family now spends about $15,210 annually for childcare for an infant, $12,116 for a toddler and $10,920 for a school-aged kid.
She says city families currently can get up to $1,050 for one child to put toward childcare, an amount that decreases as their income rises. She says her plan would raise the maximum credit to $3,000.
She's also proposing a childcare tax deduction.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
