Mamdani Launches Free Child Care For 22,000 NYC Families

Childcare is about to be completely free for roughly 22,000 New York City families — the latest step in Mayor Zohran Mamdani's rollout of universal childcare.

New York currently subsidizes care for children aged 13 or under, or up to 19 for children with disabilities. About 22,000 families currently pay a weekly fee based on income. From September, the city will cover that fee entirely.

Here’s what the Mamdani administration has done on childcare so far.

The move was made possible by a $5.2 million investment by the Mamdani administration. It follows the rollout of the city's new 2-K program — free care for two-year-olds — which drew more than 5,700 applications.

Mayor Mamdani said, "No family should have to choose between staying in the city they love and affording care for their child. This is another step toward making affordable child care something every New York family can count on.”