Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have announced a significant step in their initiative to provide free child care for all two-year-olds in New York City. The first four communities selected to receive the new 2-K program seats will offer 2,000 spots this fall. This move is part of a $1.2 billion commitment from the state to support early child care and education in the city, including $73 million dedicated specifically to launching these initial seats.
“As New York’s first mom Governor, achieving affordable, universal child care has been a key priority for my administration and we are doing the work to see it through,” said Governor Hochul. “That’s why we didn’t hesitate to partner with New York City to lay the groundwork and fund not one, but two years to realize the full implementation of free child care for all two-year-olds across the city.”
Mayor Mamdani added, “Raising a child takes a village – and it takes a city government willing to step up and tackle the child care crisis head-on. On day eight, we moved closer to making universal childcare a reality. This fall, 2,000 New York City two-year-olds will have a brighter future because of it. Launching 2-K in these four neighborhoods is just the beginning of our work to put money back in New Yorkers’ pockets, strengthen our entire economy and help more families build their lives here.”
The neighborhoods set to benefit from this first phase include Washington Heights and Inwood; Fordham and Kingsbridge; East Brooklyn (Canarsie, Brownsville, Ocean Hill); and Ozone Park and Rockaways.
The state’s ongoing efforts aim not only at expanding access within New York City but also at increasing high-quality child care options statewide by 2025. Investments exceeding $8 billion have already been made toward building out child care infrastructure across New York State. These measures are projected to make affordable child care available for nearly 100,000 additional children statewide by FY27.
In addition to establishing universal pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) for four-year-olds by the start of the 2028-2029 school year throughout all districts in New York State, funding levels for existing Pre-K seats will be raised so that each district can provide quality programs.
Support for low-income families has also increased under Governor Hochul’s leadership through expansion of eligibility criteria and investment in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). The number of children served has grown by almost 25 percent over the past year alone; most families pay no more than $15 per week for subsidized care.
Further initiatives include pilot programs with Dutchess County, Monroe County, and Broome County—supported by $60 million in state funding—to expand year-round full-day care especially for children aged zero-to-three years old regardless of family income.
A new Office of Child Care and Early Education will oversee implementation efforts statewide—including rollout of universal Pre-K, continued investment in three-year-old programs (3K), launch of two-year-old programs (2-Care), voucher improvements, workforce support measures such as scholarships and training expansions through SUNY and CUNY systems.
Since taking office, Governor Hochul’s administration has doubled both funding for subsidies as well as the number of children served by vouchers within four years. The maximum income threshold for eligibility was raised from about $64,000 per year (for a family of four) up to approximately $114,000—the highest allowed under federal law—expanding access further while capping costs at $15 per week for most families.
Reimbursement rates paid out to providers have increased nearly 50 percent since Hochul took office; capital investments exceeding $150 million are being directed toward creating thousands more child care seats across New York State.
“As New York’s first mom Governor, achieving affordable, universal child care has been a key priority for my administration and we are doing the work to see it through.”
Governor Kathy Hochul