NYC offers first 2,000 free 2-K seats amid huge demand for new early education program

NEW YORK - More than 2,000 children are receiving offers to be the first to join New York City's 2-K early education program, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday. 

More than 5,700 applications, or nearly three for each available seat, were submitted for the free childcare program's inaugural class, they added. 

Each seat in the program is expected to save families an average of $26,000 a year, officials said. 

The backstory:

Mamdani and Hochul announced the city's first phase of their broader universal child care plan in March, announcing free child care for 2-year-olds in select neighborhoods: 

• Manhattan: Washington Heights and Inwood
• Bronx: Fordham and Kingsbridge
• Brooklyn: East Brooklyn, including Canarsie, Brownsville and Ocean Hill
• Queens: Ozone Park and the Rockaways

The inaugural 2-K program is backed by $73 million in state funding, but the investment could grow to $425 million as the program expands to more parts of the city in 2027, officials said. 

What they're saying:

"The overwhelming demand for 2-K shows what families across the city have known for years: New Yorkers need free, universal child care, and they need it now," Mamdani said. "More than 5,700 families applied because affordable child care allows New York families to stay in the city they love. From our 2K for 2-K race in Fort Tryon Park to building sandcastles with families in the Rockaways, our administration traveled across the city to ensure families had the information they needed to apply. That’s how government should work, and this is only the beginning. Together with Governor Hochul, we’ll keep expanding 2-K until every family that wants a seat can get one."

"Thousands of families across NYC are applying for childcare for their two-year-olds, making clear that this is the kind of opportunity that families have been waiting generations for," Hochul said. "Starting a family while working full-time was nearly impossible for me, which is why I’ve made it my mission to make sure no parent has to choose between their career and their children. I’m proud to partner with Mayor Mamdani in delivering these first 2-K seats, and I’ll continue putting New York on a path to universal childcare, supporting families across the state."

What's next:

Families who did not receive a 2-K offer will be contacted about waitlist options as additional seats become available, according to officials. Families may join waitlists even if they did not apply in June. 

The city is planning to announce details for an expanded 2-K class in 2027, which is expected to include about 12,000 children, including families on Staten Island.