Free Child Care Expansion Coming To NYC: What To Know

NEW YORK CITY — Gov. Kathy Hochul along with Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled a multi-billion-dollar plan on Thursday that would give access to free child care for all two-year-olds in the city.

The governor said she wants to expand pre-K and early child care programs in the rest of the state for at least this year — with no tax increases.

Under the plan, in the first year, free child care for 2-year-olds would be offered in “high-need areas” selected by City Hall. By the fourth year, free child care for 2-year-olds would be available to all parents in the city.

Hochul also will look to work with Mamdani to fix the city's existing 3-K program. Funding for “2-Care” will be included in the state budget, though the plan will be paid for with existing revenue, according to officials.

The plan is expected to cost $6 billion annually in the city.

“This victory represents much more than a triumph of city and state government working in partnership,” Mamdani said in a statement, “it is proof that when New Yorkers come together, we can transform the way government serves working families.”

Mamdani during his mayoral campaign called for delivering free child care for kids between 6 weeks and 5 years old.

“There’s one thing that every family in New York can agree on, the cost of childcare is simply too high,” Hochul said in a statement.

Other highlights of the proposed plan include the creation of a new Office of Child Care and Early Education and help localities outside the city to create and expand child care programs.

The State Legislature would need to approve the new childcare plan in the state budget, which is due April 1.

New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes praised the proposed plan in a statement on Thursday.

"As a parent, I know firsthand how challenging it is to access quality child care in New York. It's an enormous cost and an albatross that shapes every other financial decision families make," he said.

“That's why this announcement is such an enormous win. If we want New York to be a state of opportunity, we need to ensure opportunity is within reach. By taking this major step toward universal child care, we can make New York a place where parents can afford to put down roots and raise kids with the care and stability they deserve."