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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday unveiled the state’s plan to pay for universal child care for New York City parents. The 2-Care plan, proposed by newly elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, would provide universal childcare for 2-year-olds of working parents, according to Hochul. Everyone can agree that childcare costs are just too high, she said.

The state made the decision to pledge funding for the program through 2028, the governor added, characterizing the move as unprecedented. Hochul described herself as the state’s first mom-governor and said she planned to make childcare truly universal. The state is investing a total of $4.5 billion in childcare programs this year, she added. Hochul said she was proud to work with Mamdani to create a concrete roadmap that would transform the lives of working parents.

What about the rest of the state? Hochul highlighted several additional measures to address childcare needs beyond the Big Apple. The state planned to invest $470 million to bolster implementation of the state’s preexisting universal preschool program. The money will support the administration of universal preschool so towns and cities will actually get up and put it into place, she said.

Hochul further guaranteed that every 4-year-old across the state will have access to free pre-k by 2028. It won’t be mandatory for kids to attend preschool, but every child should have the same opportunity to, she said. The New York Care Child Assistance Program would also receive an additional $1.2 billion in funding in community vouchers, a 40% increase from last year, Hochul said.

The state also plans to launch a web of community-based daycares to give year-round, full-day day affordable childcare to newborns up to 3 years old, Hochul said. The first counties in the web will be announced later, and Hochul asked for patience as officials take final steps before launching the program.

Dig deeper: Read my report on the Trump administration freezing New York’s federal social services funding over fraud concerns.