NEW YORK (WABC) — More than 2,000 children received offers to join New York City’s inaugural 2-K class, city and state officials announced Tuesday.
More than 5,700 families applied for just over 2,000 available seats.
The figures mark the conclusion of the city’s first 2-K application cycle and highlight demand for the new universal child care program. Officials said each free 2-K seat will save families an average of $26,000 a year.
Among families receiving initial offers, 82% were matched with one of their top three choices, while more than half received their first-choice program. Officials said 99% of offers were made to programs listed on a family’s application. The majority of seats will be full-day and full-year.
“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,” Mayor Zohran 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.”
More than 2,000 children received offers to join New York City’s inaugural 2-K class, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other city and state officials announced Tuesday.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said the response reflects strong interest in affordable child care options for families.
“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.”
The program was launched earlier this year through a partnership between the city and state, making more than 2,000 free seats available at child care centers and family child care homes across five school districts. Hochul made a $1.2 billion, two-year commitment to get the effort rolling.
When asked if that funding was just to kickstart the program or if she plans to commit beyond that, she had this to say:
“I am committed through the program next year. I can’t commit future budgets at this time, but I can tell you right now I’m excited about the growth of this. This is just the very beginning.”
A new study by the Center for New York City Affairs, a nonpartisan research center, estimates the 2-K program will cost $3 billion more than the mayor has projected. Mamdani has pushed to raise taxes on the wealthy, corporations and high earners in large part to fund 2-K.
When asked if he needed that now, he instead touted his partnership with the governor. Hochul, for her part, said the state will conduct its own analysis.
City officials said application data from the first year will help inform future expansion plans.
Families who did not receive an initial offer will be contacted directly about waitlist options as additional seats become available in the coming weeks. Families may continue to join waitlists regardless of whether they applied during the June application period.
The city said it will announce details later this year about a planned 2027 expansion expected to serve about 12,000 children, including families on Staten Island.
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