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These are the NYC neighborhoods that will get free 2-K next fall

By

Karen Yi

Published Oct 19, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. ET

Modified Oct 19, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET

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Line of pre-school children crossing street with teacher.

 

Photo by: Joan Slatkin/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

By

Karen Yi

Published Oct 19, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. ET

Modified Oct 19, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET

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Every school district in the Bronx and Staten Island will offer free preschool seats for 2-year-olds next fall, the city announced Monday, as part of the planned expansion of the city’s 2-K program, which also includes more slots in Crown Heights, East Harlem and Corona.

The city will add another 10,000 seats across the boroughs and increase the number of seats in school districts that debuted 2-K this year to 12,000 total by the start of the next school year.

The much-anticipated release is the latest move by Mayor Zohran Mamdani to build his promised universal childcare system. Earlier this month, the city also began moving thousands of families off a ballooning waitlist for subsidized childcare and said it would pay all fees associated with those vouchers — making childcare entirely free.

“For far too many New York City families, the joy of welcoming a child comes with a terrifying set of questions: How will I afford child care? Will I need to give up my job? Will I be forced to leave the city I love? Today, for 10,000 more families, we have an answer,” Mamdani said in a statement. “Families have told us what they need. Together with Governor Hochul, we are delivering.”

The 2-K program will be funded with a $1.2 billion investment by state taxpayers, after Gov. Kathy Hochul promised to cover the first two years of the expansion. Mamdani promised all 2-year-olds who want a seat would get one by the end of his term, but the governor has not said how much the state would contribute after the second year.

“Generations of parents have had to contend with the stress of child care costs in this city and state – but thanks to our partnership with Mayor Mamdani, that’s changing,” Hochul said in a statement. “This is how we deliver real relief for working families, and make sure our kids get the best possible start in life.”

Hochul said on Monday she would do “whatever it takes” to keep 2-K going and did not rule out a potential tax increase to do so.

“ We didn't come this far to turn back now. We're going all the way. Universal means universal, so I am committed to it,” she said.

City officials said the additional neighborhoods that will offer 2-K were picked based on demand and provider capacity. Next year, 22 out of 32 school districts will offer the program. Most programs will run for the full day and year-round. The city’s existing 3-K and preK programs for 3- and 4-year-olds only provide free care for 6 hours and through the school year.

The parent advocacy group New Yorkers United for Child Care is pushing the city to make 3-K and preK year-round programs that run 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. to match the 2-K model. The group said this would cost the city another $735 million a year to extend the programs’ hours for 81,500 kids.

The city will release a survey for current public preschool providers and a request for information for new providers interested in offering 2-K within the next week.

“We have learned valuable lessons from parents and providers as we launched the first 2,000 seats this year,” said Emmy Liss, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education. “Continued engagement with families, educators and communities will inform and strengthen the program as we expand.”

City officials said the Department of Education will hire 200 additonal staffers to help process contracts and shorten payment wait times. That’s after severe payment delays marred the launch of 2-K this year.

The city plans to release details on when parents can apply in the coming weeks.

The following school districts will get 2-K next year:

Manhattan

Brooklyn

Queens

This story has been updated with additional informaion.

Tagged

Politics

affordability

bronx

education

new york city

prekindergarten

staten island

Karen Yi

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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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