"A 3-year-old can't take themselves to class 3 miles away and a working parent shouldn't have to commute from Parkchester to Park Slope just to find child care. The new seats for the city's popular 3-K program will be spread across 56 ZIP codes that include a mix of socioeconomically diverse neighborhoods, such as Park Slope, Canarsie, East Elmhurst and Parkchester."
"The cost of child care across the five boroughs averages about $20,000 a year and has been driving young families who can't afford to pay out of the city. While the city offers free care for 3- and 4-year-olds through its 3-K and pre-K programs, parents are often waitlisted for care or assigned to child care locations miles away from their homes."
"Mamdani pledged to make child care free and universal during his mayoral campaign. Shortly after taking office, he announced a plan to expand the city's free preschool program to 2-year-olds. Gov. Kathy Hochul has vowed to fund the first two years of the program and promised another $100 million toward 3-K after years of cuts under the Adams administration."
New York City is expanding its 3-K preschool program by adding 1,000 free seats across 56 ZIP codes in socioeconomically diverse neighborhoods including Park Slope, Canarsie, East Elmhurst, Parkchester, and Staten Island. The expansion addresses critical shortages where families face long waitlists or are assigned to child care locations miles from their homes. With annual child care costs averaging $20,000, many families are leaving the city. Mayor Mamdani's administration is also launching a program providing free care for 2,000 2-year-olds this fall, with Governor Hochul committing funding for the first two years and an additional $100 million for 3-K expansion.
#early-childhood-education #free-preschool-expansion #child-care-accessibility #new-york-city-policy #family-support-services
Read at Gothamist
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