Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday $70 million in funding to create more than 300 new child care providers across the state.

She says the new providers will help alleviate “child care deserts” by adding child care programs in areas that are lacking them.

Hochul says this effort will create more than 12,000 new slots for children statewide and 3,000 of those slots will be created in New York City.

The governor says the typical New York family spends 40% of their income on child care, a figure too expensive in the current economic climate.

She’s also raising the income eligibility from $52,000 to $83,000 so more families can enroll their children into these programs.

The governor also signed a bill to help make diapers more affordable. That law will eliminate local sales taxes on diapers.