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NYC child care chief offers new details on Mamdani’s plans for universal free care
By
Karen Yi
and
Jessica Gould
Published Feb 13, 2026
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Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
By
Karen Yi
and
Jessica Gould
Published Feb 13, 2026
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration is starting to drop a few clues about how it plans to accomplish one of his biggest campaign promises: free child care for New York City families.
Officials have said the first step will be rolling out free care for about 2,000 2-year-olds this fall. But families are eager for details as many struggle to pay an average of $20,000 a year for care. And child care providers say they’re fighting to keep their doors open amid low wages and under-enrollment.
“We feel the sort of the weight of what this promise means to families and to child care providers. I feel appropriately daunted, but really honored to have this task in front of me,” said Emmy Liss, executive director of the Mayor's Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education.
Gothamist spoke to Liss about what families can expect in the coming months. Here is how she answered some pressing questions.
Will the planned free child care cover the full work day? Will it be available year-round?
The city still is figuring that out, and there may be a mix of different service models.
Liss said the city has been surveying child care providers to understand whether they are interested in being part of the city’s universal child care plan, and if so, whether they could be open all day and year-round.
They are also speaking to families about what they need.
What the city learns will help them decide.
Will child care for 2-year-olds be available for everyone regardless of income?
Yes.
Liss said the goal is “to continue making our programs as accessible to families as possible. And so as we roll out new services, we're pushing for those to be as universally accessible as possible.”
Which neighborhoods will get free child care first?
The city is still deciding. Liss said the city is focusing on areas with a high number of 2-year-olds with unmet child care needs, and where there are few publicly funded services available.
Officials are also looking at areas where there is capacity among child care providers to grow their programs over time.
“We're looking at the neighborhoods where it makes most sense to launch that program based on family need, as well as provider capacity,” Liss said, adding that she hopes to have news on the matter soon.
Does the city plan to pay providers more?
Liss said this is a ”big priority” for the administration. She said the city is speaking to workers and child care providers to better understand their options.
Does the city have plans to address the 16,000 children on the child care voucher wait list?
The city is looking at funding options and in the meantime working to connect those families to other low-cost programs they may be eligible for, Liss said.
She said the city is encouraged by the additional state funding that Gov. Kathy Hochul promised in the upcoming budget for vouchers.
She said the proposed state dollars won’t be enough to subsidize care for children on the wait list but will allow the city to continue serving families currently enrolled in the program.
Liss noted the city’s goal is to “ultimately serve every child in the city under 5 with a free, high-quality early care and education experience, and that will require bringing together the resources from across all of these different systems to make that possible.”
What’s behind the city’s push to enroll families in its existing 3-K and pre-K programs?
Liss said city officials know that over the last couple years, families haven't always understood they could sign up for free 3-K and pre-K.
She said the administration is working to communicate with families to make sure they know the program is on offer.
Officials also recognize that in some parts of the city, there haven’t been enough spaces for 3-year-olds, or the options were not convenient, Liss added.
She said the city is asking families to apply so that officials know where they need to expand services.
The deadline for families to apply is Feb. 27.
Tagged
Kathy Hochul
Zohran Mamdani
childcare
economy
education
new york city
Karen Yi
Karen Yi covers homelessness and poverty. She joined the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom in 2020. Before that, Karen covered Newark for the Star-Ledger and spent almost a decade working for newspapers in New Jersey and Florida. She grew up in Miami and has a dog named Cashew. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-589-1460.
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Jessica Gould
Jessica is the education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Jessica reported on the shutdown and reopening of the nation’s largest school system, highlighting the unprecedented impacts on learning, health and mental health for students, staff and families. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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