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NYC’s subsidized childcare waitlist is moving, starting with 3K families
By
Karen Yi
Published Oct 21, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. ET
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Photo by Sofie Hecht/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
By
Karen Yi
Published Oct 21, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. ET
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The Mamdani administration is notifying 3,000 families languishing on a waitlist for subsidized childcare that they can finally get vouchers for their children.
The families are among nearly 30,000 awaiting vouchers in the Child Care Assistance Program, which helps low-income New Yorkers afford childcare or after-school care for children between six weeks and 13 years old.
Childcare providers and early education experts have long called on the administration to clear the swelling waitlist as part of the Mamdani administration’s plan to build a universal childcare system.
Earlier this month, Mayor Zohran Mamdani promised to move 10,000 families off the waitlist using additional state dollars to fund the popular vouchers. The city is also covering all co-payments and fees, making care entirely free.
“This is about serving low-income families, and that is of utmost importance, but it also functions to help stabilize these family childcare programs that aren't part of the New York City Public Schools systems yet,” said Lauren Melodia, director of economic and fiscal policies at The Center for New York City Affairs.
Last week, the Administration for Children’s Services, which oversees the voucher program, sent letters and emails to thousands of families who have been waiting since last May, telling them they could reapply for a voucher. City data show nearly three-quarters of those children are 5 or younger. About 800 are school-age and need afterschool care.
Parents have 60 days to apply and will receive a voucher if they remain eligible. A family of four can qualify if they earn less than $117,000 a year.
Officials at the Administration for Children’s Services said the agency would notify families who have been waiting the longest first, then work through the remaining list.
The agency said about 20% of the children on the waitlist are currently enrolled in a free, city-funded program, but it’s unclear whether those families have enough of the care they need because most preschool programs end in the summer and only run six hours a day.
The vouchers are a lifeline for many childcare providers, particularly in lower-income neighborhoods where families cannot afford to pay out of pocket. Of the families still on the waitlist, more than 16,000 are awaiting vouchers for children 2 years old or younger. Another 6,800 are awaiting vouchers for children ages 3 to 5, city numbers show.
Ayan Wilson runs a home-based childcare program in the East Bronx and said she lost more than half of her enrolled kids because they were put on the voucher waitlist and their families can’t afford to pay out of pocket. Her program now serves only five children.
“It's disheartening because I have seats right here in your district, but I can't take you because you can't afford me. Because if I take you, that means I have to lower the amount of money that I charge you, which is not possible because I can't operate a business that way,” she said.
Wilson said she hoped families could move off the waitlist quickly to give struggling providers needed relief.
“Getting to universal or universal 2-K needs to go hand-in-hand with voucher policy,” said Raysa Rodriguez, executive director for the Citizens’ Committee for Children, a nonprofit that advocates for children.
The organization recently released a report on 2-K expansion that found voucher use among parents of 2-year-olds grew 215% — the most of any age group — between 2022 and 2025.
“We need to make sure that every community receives the resources and investments that they need to be able to partake and participate in this expansion. And that looks very different depending on the community.”
Tagged
affordability
childcare
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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