NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) — New York City is expanding free child care services to two-year-olds, and now the city is searching for contracted providers.
On Thursday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced applications are open for child care providers looking to enter contracts for 3-K and 2-K programs. He’ll also be looking to existing 3-K providers to expand their contracts.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in January that the state will pay for the first two years of free child care for New York City’s two-year-olds. The first 2,000 seats will open by the end of this year, followed by 12,000 in the next school year, Mamdani said.
The city will also launch a survey to help determine where those seats should be placed, Mamdani said.
“We are looking to better understand parent opinions on these issues as well as where the need is across the city,” he said. “There will be an application process, all of those things will come in advance of the seats actually being open later this year.”
The announcement comes as the city terminates its pre-K and 3-K contract over alleged child abuse at a Bright Horizons childcare center in Manhattan, the New York Times reported.
More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State
Mamdani said the city routinely continuously inspects its contracted childcare facilities.
“Every provider undergoes a rigorous vetting process,” Mamdani said. “That includes background checks for all employees, a review of teacher qualifications and an assessment that the space meets all the requirements for a [childcare] facility.”
Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter who has covered New York City since 2023 after reporting in Los Angeles for years. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here.
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