US EditionGov. Hochul, Mayor Mamdani to Launch Free Child Care for 2-Year-Olds in New York City: Report
The state will fully fund the first two years of the 2-Care program starting this fall, prioritizing high-need NYC neighborhoods and expanding to serve nearly 100,000 children.
- On Jan. 8, Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the 2-Care program at a Brooklyn YMCA news conference, launching free child care for 2-year-olds in high-need neighborhoods this September.
- Mamdani's campaign last year supported universal child care, and Hochul's budget proposal must be approved by the New York State Legislature by April 1, 2026.
- The proposal includes $73 million in year one and $425 million in year two, with a 40% subsidy boost to about $1.2 billion and nearly 100,000 additional children affected.
- The rollout gives Mayor Zohran Mamdani an early political victory with Thursday's announcement, while Gov. Kathy Hochul positions the $4.5 billion plan as a key re-election milestone amid federal subsidy freeze concerns; state officials are exploring legal options.
- The rollout is framed as a step toward statewide universal child care, with Gov. Kathy Hochul's executive budget aiming to expand pre-K for all 4-year-olds by 2028 while advocacy groups press for new revenue.
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70 Articles
Free child care, one of the key promises of New York’s new mayor Zohram Mamdani, has begun this Thursday to take its first steps with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul, who announced that the state will fully fund the new program during its first two years. Although Hochul supported the proposal, she did not agree with Mamdani’s idea of paying child care and free buses by raising taxes on corporations and millionaires. However, in a joint ann…
HERE WE GO: NY Governor Kathy Hochul and Zohran Mamdani Announce Plans to Spend Billions on 'Free' Childcare Program
Screencap of Twitter/X video. New York Governor Kathy Hochul and newly sworn in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have just announced their plans to spend billions of dollars on a ‘free’ childcare program. What could possibly go wrong? They are doing this as the state of Minnesota is imploding under the weight of a massive fraud scandal which is almost completely focused on daycare centers that received millions in funding even though many of t…
Hochul, Mamdani Announce Free Child Care Expansion for New York
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was joined by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Jan. 8 to announce plans for expanding free and affordable child care in the state. “Whether you live in Flatbush or upstate in the Finger Lakes, this is something every family can agree on: The cost of child care is too damn high!” said Hochul at the announcement Jan. 8 at the YMCA in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York. The Democratic governor announced statewide expansion…
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's free child care proposal took its first step with the governor's support.
Hochul Pledges Free Child Care at Age 2, Bolstering Mamdani
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday announced an effort to expand child care across the state, including a free program for 2-year-olds in New York City starting in the fall. “The cost of child care is too damn high,” Hochul said at an event at a YMCA in Flatbush, Brooklyn. “We know this is a determinative factor of whether or not a family who wants to stay in New York or come to New York can pull it all off and make it work.” Hochul agreed that the s…
The program aims at the total coverage of two-year-olds in the city's territories.
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