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Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Tuesday the launch of a new, centralized permitting tool for prospective child care providers.
Part of the administration’s broader push to expand access to care, the website replaces a “fragmented and outdated” application process that has long made it difficult for providers to open new child care centers, according to a press release.
The child care provider dashboard lets providers submit documents, centralize communication with the Health Department, schedule inspections, and track new center application status in real time. The dashboard requires a login account for each separate center application, though centers that have already been approved through the earlier licensing process will not have to register.
Previously, applicants were required to submit separate documents via snail mail or email to separate offices in the NYC Health Department, with no clear way to track progress, coordinate inspections, or receive status updates.
Developed with direct input from providers and tested by child care centers across the city before its launch, the dashboard now allows providers to turn in all of their paperwork in one spot. After submitting these applications, providers didn’t know if or when they would be approved, delaying the launch of new centers, said a spokesperson for the mayor’s office.
“Our child care providers are our first partners in the work to roll out universal child care — common-sense tools like this prioritize their needs, making our city’s child care system stronger for all,” Mamdani said in a statement.
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Each center must be approved by the Department of Health through a series of licensing applications that ensure new centers are safe for children. While the health requirements that safeguard children have not changed, the site makes it easier for applicants to know what steps they need to take before opening.
Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin said removing these hurdles that delay center openings could help get more children into regulated care faster.
The website launch comes a week after the administration opened its NYC Child Care Hub for families, a search site that lets parents look up and compare more than 10,000 child care programs across the five boroughs. Together, the two new portals make up a dual strategy toward creating universal child care: helping families find care more easily while also trying to make it less burdensome for providers to enter the system.
Lisa Gelobter, the city’s chief technology officer and Office of Technology and Innovation commissioner, said the administration will continue to refine the platform based on ongoing provider feedback.
The portal launch comes as the city prepares to expand publicly funded seats, including an initial 2,000 2-K seats this fall and more than 1,000 new 3-K seats in high-demand neighborhoods. The city said the new portal aims to help grow 3-K capacity through partnerships with community- and home-based providers.
Lizzie Walsh is a Data Fellow at Chalkbeat New York. She reports on New York City education and produces data-driven stories across Chalkbeat’s national network. Contact her at ewalsh@chalkbeat.org.