Nonpublic Nursery School Programs in New York State are not required to be licensed through the state. However, some may choose to voluntarily register through the Commissioner of Education as a registered Nursery School. This form of early education is organized for the purpose of educating a group of six or more children less than seven years of age, under the supervision of qualified teachers, providing adequate learning activities and maintaining good standards of health and safety. If  the program can submit evidence that it meets specific guidelines set by the Commissioner of Education such as; adult-child ratio, staff qualifications, health requirements, training in first aid, emergency procedures, and inspection of indoor and outdoor facilities; then a five year certificate of registration will be issued to the program. Many programs choose not to seek registration status through the state agency.  If the program operates for less than 3 hours per day it is not unlawful.  A Nursery School typically provides a safe learning environment for children between two and four years of age for less than three hours per day. Generally Nursery Schools are utilized as a means of socialization rather than education by families who can afford to pay out of pocket for the service. Sometimes programs without registration may employ teachers and staff who do hot hold certification as well as staff who have no training or qualification in early care and learning. Current statute regarding child care providers authorizes the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) oversight only for those operators who provide care for more than three hours a day per child. As a result, an entire subsection of child care providers, specifically those who care for children for three hours or less a day in settings commonly referred to as nursery schools, have no statutory definition and operate outside of OCFS regulations and oversight.

A New York State Licensed Child Care Center maintains specific teacher-child ratios, the faculty and staff are required to be certified or to have a plan in place to meet educational guidelines. A Licensed Child Care Center provides an early care and learning environment for children when their families are not able to provide care. Common operating hours of a Child Care Center can be up to twelve hours per day and are dependent upon geographic locations and the needs of the community which it serves. Funding for licensed center based care oftentimes comes from state or federal aid and is  available to eligible families through their State agencies which administer Federal Child Care and Development grants. Each State determines eligibility requirements for families within its State.

Oftentimes children receive care for three or more hours per day from a home based child care provider, usually referred to as family "day" care, or group family  "day" care. In this type of situation within New York State, the provider of care must be at least 18 years of age and be approved by New York States' Office of Child and Family Services, OCFS. This type of approved child care may provide care for infants of at least six weeks of age though the age school age of 12. The maximum number of children the provider is allowed to have is dependent upon the program and its capacity. The OCFS has guidelines that the provider must adhere to in order to maintain its two year license and registration. This guidelines include regular inspections of the indoor and outdoor facilities, participation in thirty clock hours of training, along with strict health certificates of the provider. This type of child care service is sometimes funded through state aid as well as fees paid by families to the provider.

Head Start is a Federally Funded Program which promotes school readiness for children from birth though age 5 of low income families. Comprehensive services are provided for the families such as nutrition education, health education, social emotional education as well as cognitive development services. The Head Start program prides itself on being responsive to each family's' unique heritage and strives to build cohesive relationships within its member families through self advocacy, community connections and continued family training. There are many services provided though Head Start which are specific to the community which it serves and its dependent population, such as Early Head Start and Migrant Head Start. These programs can be based in centers or schools which children attend for part-day or full-day services, family child care homes, as well as the child's own home where a staff member visits once a week to provide services to the child and family.

While there is currently not a formal definition of the Universal Pre Kindergarten Movement, UPK is nevertheless a movement funded through state government to offer pre kindergarten services to all families who seek a placement regardless of the family's income status. Each state has individual legislation which sets its mandates for the program. Currently New York State funds its UPK from lottery revenue. In New York State a certain percentage of eligible openings must go to economically disadvantaged, such as families at or below the poverty line and then the other openings may go to children of middle income families, which are often the ones who struggle to afford preschool or child care yet do  not qualify for Head Start or social service programs. Each school district is allowed to set its own requirements for eligibility.

School age childcare is a program that provides age appropriate activities, snacks and a safe environment for children after regular public school hours of operation have ceased for the day. According to the Division of Child Care Services for New York State "the program must provide a variety of self-initiated, group-initiated and staff-initiated activities which are intellectually stimulating, and foster self-reliance and social responsibility. A written daily schedule of program activities and routines which offers reasonable regularity in routines, including snack and meal periods, quiet activities and active play, and activities which provide children with opportunities for learning and self-expression is required. Children must receive instruction, consistent with their age, needs and circumstances, in techniques and procedures which will enable them to protect themselves from abuse and maltreatment. The program must make a sufficient quantity and variety of materials and play equipment available to the children. Such materials and equipment must be appropriate to the ages of the children and their developmental levels and interests, including children with developmental delays or disabilities, and promote the children's cognitive, educational, social, cultural, physical, emotional, language and recreational development." Staff qualifications for the program director is an Associate Degree and two years experience. Staff to child ratio for under the age of 9 is 1:10, 10 to 12 years of age is 1:15. The Office of Child and Family Services is the lead agency therefor this is a state funded program.