Governor Kathy Hochul on Aug 27th, announced more than $24 million to expand HealthySteps, an innovative program that supports young families across New York with high-quality care for mental and physical health development for children under 3 years old. This funding will support up to 50 new HealthySteps sites as part of plans to grow the program to serve 350,000 children statewide by 2027.

“Expanding access to early childhood care is part of our comprehensive approach to supporting families across New York,” Governor Hochul said. “As New York’s first mom Governor, this is personal for me – and I’ll never stop working to ensure that every child gets the care they need.”

New York’s HealthySteps program is administered by the New York State Office of Mental Health, which now supports 97 HealthySteps sites at pediatric and family health practices across the state.

The program pairs pediatric physicians with child development specialists – referred to as HealthySteps specialists – to provide services for children up to the age of 3 and their families in a pediatric healthcare setting. Because pediatricians are often the first point-of-contact new caregivers have with the health care system, this environment can be less stigmatizing and more conducive to identifying early childhood behavioral health issues.

Infants and their caregivers typically have seven pediatric visits within the first year of life, providing an early life opportunity to integrate mental health care for children at a critical time during their brain development. HealthySteps specialists serve as part of the primary care team and can offer families additional screenings and support for feeding, behavior, sleep, attachment, depression, social determinants of health, and adjusting to the complexities of a newborn child.

Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “Expanding HealthySteps will partner more mental health practitioners with families in pediatricians' offices to support the growth and development of young New Yorkers. The program helps families to address their child’s physical and emotional needs in a welcoming environment. Governor Hochul’s continued support for this program is helping families get the emotional support they need at a time when early intervention is most effective.”

State Senator Samra Brouk said, “As a mother, I understand that early childhood care is essential to a child’s ability to thrive. I applaud Gov Hochul’s efforts in helping all New Yorkers get the care they need at a pivotal age in their development. This funding will strengthen HealthlySteps’ work to help families across the state receive the mental and physical care that is critical in early life. Increasing the services that families have access to is vital allowing them to have a lifetime of good mental and physical health.”

Assemblymember Aileen Gunther said, “I am very pleased that the HealthySteps program is expanding, and I applaud Governor Hochul for providing the $24 million to fund this growth. Connecting childcare development specialists with pediatricians and parents is an excellent way to ensure that children in New York receive the most well-rounded care possible. As the Chair of the New York State Assembly Mental Health Committee, I am very encouraged to see mental health and development specialists being included in the critical conversations and decisions that take place during the first few years of a child’s life.”

This latest funding availability furthers Governor Hochul’s focus on child and youth mental health, continuing the work she started as part of her $1 billion investment in mental health statewide that was launched with the adoption of the FY 2024 State Budget. This focus on youth supports and services continued with additional investments secured in the FY 2025 State Budget.

Governor Hochul took steps to expand mental health support for children across the state and ensure their voices are heard, making good on an agenda she unveiled in her State of the State address in January. Up to $20 million in start-up funding is now available for school-based mental health clinics along with a rolling application process to make it easier for interested schools to establish these satellites than through the state procurement process previously used.

The FY 2025 Budget also includes an investment of more than $19 million to provide critical care to young people outside of school environments, including increasing resources for youth receiving treatment in their community or, when necessary, in residential care. Key initiatives include expanding the Youth ACT program to add 12 new teams statewide, providing support for young people struggling with mental illness so they may stay in their homes and school communities, rather than receiving treatment in residential and inpatient settings.

In June, Governor Hochul signed two major pieces of legislation to help create a safer digital environment for New York’s young people, including the SAFE for Kids Act to require social media companies to restrict addictive feeds on their platforms for users under 18; and the New York Child Data Protection Act to prohibit online sites and connected devices from collecting, using, sharing or selling personal data of anyone under the age of 18.