It's been a whirlwind 100 days in office for Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and among his biggest victories so far has been the expansion of free child care programs.
It's been a whirlwind 100 days in office for Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and among his biggest victories so far has been universal child care. With support from Governor Kathy Hochul, this fall, the city will offer free child care to 2,000 2-year-olds in high-need neighborhoods.
At Nicholas Caddell Daycare Center in Inwood, kids have attended the city-funded 3-K and pre-K programs at no cost since 1973.At a time when Mayor Mamdani is promising to provide universal child care, the administration has built a brand-new website that has all the information parents need to know for kids six weeks and older. "We have a very unique opportunity to turn child care into the public good that I think we believe it should be," xx said. Emmy Liss? is leading the charge for what is one of the most central pillars to the mayor's affordability agenda. "We see families with children under six twice as likely to leave the city as other households, often because they cite the cost of child care," Liss said? On average, it costs roughly $26,000 a year. That is not an option for Dessa Carol, who wishes she could afford full-time child care for her daughter Hazara near their home in the Kensington section of Brooklyn. When we're out playground, she lines up with other day cares like ready to go. And it makes me feel bad that I can't, you know, give that to her," Carol said. On the mayor's wish list: 2-K starting in the fall with roughly 2,000 slots, 12,000 by the fall of 2027, and in four years, space for every 2-year-old in the city. "We have to be on the ground. We have to be working with trusted community partners, faith leaders, community-based organizations who can help us get the word out to families," Liss said. The administration is still in the process of identifying which 2-K providers in Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx and Brooklyn are on board. In the fall of 2027, Staten Island will be looped in. "We're starting 2-K in areas where we know there are significant numbers of families who are struggling economically," Liss said. The second piece to the puzzle, expanding 3-K and pre-K programs, and adding more than 1,000 new seats in 56 zip codes throughout the five boroughs. The need is there. Back in Inwood, the program at Nicholas Caddell Daycare Center is at capacity. There are 50 kids, and an additional 100 are on the waiting list. "Sometimes when they come at the door, they say, 'I was here when I was 3 years old, and now I'm bringing my child because I want to pass through the same experience,'" XX said."All the spots for vouchers had filled up, so she wasn't able to get into that program," Carol said. She says she'll try again, but right now, long-term funding is still unclear. To date, the state has set aside $1.2 billion for two years. The political stars have aligned. We have tremendous support from New Yorkers broadly who are recognizing the importance of investing in childcare," Liss said. Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo,Former NYPD sergeant sentenced after fatal cooler throw during botched arrest
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