Quitting job due to no childcare in 2025 - can I get NY unemployment benefits?

they usually deny anyone who quits first time around. you'll probably need to appeal.

Under New York unemployment law, quitting for childcare reasons can actually be considered good cause if you had no reasonable alternatives. The key factors they look at are: 1. Did you try to find alternative childcare arrangements? 2. Did you discuss options with your employer like flexible scheduling or remote work? 3. Was the school closing truly unexpected and beyond your control? Make sure all of this information was clearly explained in your questionnaire. After submitting, decisions typically take 2-3 weeks, but the system is experiencing delays in 2025, so it might be longer. Don't get discouraged if your initial claim is denied - about 60% of childcare-related quits need to go through appeal, where they have a much higher success rate.

I had almost the exact same situation last year! Got denied first time, then filed an appeal and finally got approved. The key was proving I had no reasonable alternatives. Good luck!!

took about 5 wks from filing appeal to decision. not quick but worth it.

I went through this EXACT situation and got denied initially even though I explained EVERYTHING about my childcare situation!!!! The system is rigged against parents I swear. What worked for me was I called and called and CALLED until I finally got through to someone who actually understood my situation and helped me navigate the appeal. But it took DAYS of calling and getting disconnected or waiting for hours!!!!

For documentation, I had to provide: 1) email exchanges with my employer about scheduling flexibility, 2) quotes/waitlist confirmation from childcare providers showing unavailability or prohibitive cost, and 3) the school closure notice. The more evidence you have that you exhausted all reasonable options, the better your chances on appeal.

my sister works for nysdol and says childcare cases are getting reviewed faster now in 2025 cuz they changed the process. maybe you'll get lucky and get approved first try.

In my experience, decision timeline varies widely. After submitting my questionnaire last month, I received a determination in just 8 days. However, my neighbor submitted hers around the same time and is still waiting. There seems to be little consistency in processing times. Make sure to continue certifying weekly even while waiting for a decision.

Omg I'm getting so ANGRY just reading this thread because it brings back all the frustration I went through!!! The questionnaire is DESIGNED to trip you up! Make sure you emphasize that you had NO REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES and that you would have continued working if childcare was available!!! Their whole system is built to find reasons to deny you!!!

One more thing to consider: the questionnaire responses are crucial. If you've already submitted it, you may want to follow up by uploading additional documentation to your claim file through your online account. Include anything that proves: 1. The school closure notification 2. Emails/communications with potential childcare providers showing unavailability 3. Cost estimates that show childcare would have been financially unfeasible 4. Any communication with your employer about your situation before quitting Being proactive with documentation often helps avoid the initial denial that many experience. And as others mentioned, absolutely continue certifying weekly while you wait.

just wondering... did u try asking family for help with kids before quitting? they sometimes ask about that.

my friend quit bcuz of childcare and got approved right away but that was bcuz her kid has special needs so maybe different rules?

Based on your situation as described, you have a legitimate case for unemployment benefits under the "good cause" provision. The key is demonstrating that you exhausted all reasonable alternatives before quitting. From what you've shared about attempting to find childcare, discussing options with your employer, and lacking family support options, you've covered the major bases. A final tip: after uploading your documentation, if you don't hear back within 3 weeks, try contacting your state representative's office. They often have liaisons who can inquire about stalled unemployment claims. This frequently results in faster processing.

I went through something similar when I had to quit due to eldercare responsibilities for my mom. The thing that really helped my case was creating a detailed timeline showing everything I tried before quitting - dates I called daycares, when I spoke with my supervisor, etc. Also keep records of your job search efforts while waiting for the decision because they'll ask about that later. The whole process is stressful but hang in there - sounds like you have a solid case with all the documentation you're gathering!

I'm in a similar boat right now - had to quit my job in January when my daycare suddenly closed and I couldn't find anything affordable or available. Still waiting to hear back on my claim after 3 weeks. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and nerve-wracking! It's crazy how common this situation is but the system still seems so unpredictable. @Amina Sy - it sounds like you've done everything right documenting your situation. Keeping my fingers crossed for both of us that the 2025 process improvements are real!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! Had to quit my retail job in February when my babysitter moved out of state with zero notice and all the daycares near me had 6+ month waitlists. I submitted my questionnaire about 2 weeks ago but haven't heard anything yet. Reading through everyone's experiences here is giving me hope though - it sounds like having good documentation is key. I saved all my emails with potential childcare providers and the texts from my babysitter, plus I have the conversation with my manager documented. Really hoping the rumor about faster processing in 2025 is true because this waiting period is so stressful when you're already struggling financially!

I'm going through something similar and wanted to share what I learned from my case worker - apparently NY has a specific provision for "compelling family circumstances" that includes sudden loss of childcare arrangements. The key thing they look for is whether you made "reasonable efforts" to maintain employment before quitting. From everything you've described, it sounds like you checked all the boxes: tried to find alternative care, discussed options with your employer, had no family alternatives available. I'd also suggest keeping a log of any continued job search efforts while you wait for the decision, since they'll eventually ask about your availability to work once childcare is resolved. The fact that you submitted detailed explanations in your questionnaire should work in your favor. Hang in there - the waiting is brutal but it sounds like you have a strong case!

I'm going through this exact situation right now too! Had to quit my job in January when my daughter's daycare suddenly shut down due to licensing issues. I've been waiting 2.5 weeks since submitting my questionnaire and the anxiety is killing me. Reading everyone's experiences here is both helpful and terrifying - sounds like it's really a coin flip whether you get approved initially or have to go through appeals. I documented everything I could think of: the daycare closure notice, emails to 12+ other facilities showing they were full or too expensive, my conversation with HR about remote work (they said no), and even screenshots of my frantic Facebook posts asking mom groups for childcare leads. Now I'm just playing the waiting game and trying not to panic about my dwindling savings. Really hoping the 2025 process improvements are real because this limbo is brutal when you're already stressed about money and finding care for your kid!

I'm dealing with this same nightmare right now! Had to quit my teaching job in February when my son's after-school program suddenly ended and I couldn't find any backup care that worked with my schedule. The school district wouldn't let me modify my hours and family daycare providers in my area either had no openings or wanted $400+ per week which would have eaten up most of my take-home pay. I submitted my questionnaire 10 days ago and I'm checking my account obsessively every day. It's so frustrating that we're basically penalized for being responsible parents who can't just leave our kids unsupervised! Reading through everyone's stories here is giving me some hope though - it sounds like detailed documentation really matters. I kept every email exchange with potential childcare providers and screenshots of my conversations with my principal about schedule flexibility. Now I just need to work up the courage to start that weekly certification process while I wait. This whole situation has me questioning everything about how our system supports working parents.

I'm in a really similar situation and just wanted to add my experience to help others going through this. I had to quit my job last month when my childcare provider got COVID and had to shut down for 3 weeks, and by the time they reopened I'd already lost my position for missing too much work. What I learned from talking to other parents in my area is that NY unemployment has gotten slightly better about recognizing childcare emergencies as "good cause" but the key is really in how you phrase everything in your questionnaire. Instead of just saying "I had no childcare," I made sure to emphasize that I "exhausted all reasonable alternatives to maintain employment" and that the childcare loss was "sudden and beyond my control." I also mentioned specific dollar amounts for the childcare quotes I got (some were $600+ per week!) to show it wasn't financially viable. Just submitted my questionnaire last week so I'm in the same waiting boat as everyone else, but my neighbor went through this in late 2024 and said using that specific language helped her get approved on the first try. Fingers crossed for all of us dealing with this nightmare!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now and the stress is unreal! Had to quit my job at a medical office in February when my mom, who was watching my 3-year-old, had a stroke and obviously couldn't provide childcare anymore. I've been waiting almost 3 weeks since submitting my questionnaire and every day feels like forever when you're watching your savings disappear. What's really helping me stay somewhat sane is reading everyone's experiences here - it sounds like having detailed documentation is absolutely crucial. I kept everything: the hospital discharge papers for my mom, emails from 8 different daycare centers saying they had no openings or were asking for $500+ per week, texts with my supervisor about whether I could bring my daughter to work (obviously they said no), and even my desperate posts in local mom Facebook groups begging for babysitter recommendations. The most frustrating part is feeling like you're being judged for being a responsible parent! Like @Evelyn Kelly said, we can't just leave our kids unsupervised, but then the system acts like we're trying to cheat somehow. I'm really hoping all these rumors about 2025 improvements are true because this waiting period is brutal when you're already dealing with a family crisis on top of financial stress. Keeping my fingers crossed for everyone in this thread - it sounds like we all did everything we possibly could before making the difficult decision to quit.

I'm going through this exact situation right now too! Had to quit my job as a nurse in March when my regular babysitter moved away suddenly and all the daycare centers I called had 4-6 month waiting lists. The few that had immediate openings wanted $700+ per week which would have been more than half my take-home pay! I submitted my questionnaire about 2 weeks ago and I'm also checking my account obsessively every day. It's so reassuring to read everyone's experiences here - it sounds like having really detailed documentation is key. I kept screenshots of all the daycare websites showing their waitlists, emails from the facilities I contacted, and even my frantic texts to other nurse friends asking if they knew any reliable sitters. What's giving me the most hope is hearing from people like @Andre Dupont about using specific language like "exhausted all reasonable alternatives" and @Natasha Ivanova's advice about following up with additional documentation. I'm planning to upload a timeline of everything I tried this weekend just to be thorough. The financial stress while waiting is so real though - especially when you're already dealing with finding new childcare arrangements on top of job searching. Really hoping these 2025 process improvements everyone keeps mentioning are actually happening because this limbo is brutal! Keeping my fingers crossed for everyone in this thread.