For families living on low or moderate wages there are a variety of tax credits and refundable tax benefits.

New York State Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit
http://www.tax.state.ny.us/pit/income_tax/child
_and_dependent_care_credit.htm

New York City Child Care Credit
http://www.nyc.gov/html/ceo/html/programs/
child_care_tax_credit.shtml

Empire State Child Credit
http://www.tax.state.ny.us/pit/income_tax
/empire_state_child_credit.htm

Earned Income Tax Credit
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dca/html/initiatives/eitc.shtml

The Child and Dependent Care Credit
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=106189,00.html
http://www.nyscccc.org/taxnews_04.htm

Child Tax Credit
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=106182,00.html
http://www.nyscccc.org/taxnews_04.htm

How to Lower Taxes for Working Families
http://www.nwlc.org/details.cfm?id=3135&section=tax