Gov Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani greet pre-schoolers at a YMCA in Flatbush, Brooklyn on Thursday, January 8.
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
Thursday, Jan. 8, marks the eighth day of Zohran Mamdani’s term as mayor. amNewYork is following Mamdani around his first 100 days in office as we closely track his progress on fulfilling campaign promises, appointing key leaders to government posts, and managing the city’s finances. Here’s a summary of what the mayor did today.
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday threw the weight of the state behind Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s signature campaign promise, announcing a partnership that will launch free child care for two-year-olds in New York City this fall and accelerate his broader push toward universal child care.
Under the plan, the state will fully fund the first two years of the new “2-Care” program, which is expected to serve about 2,000 children in its first year and expand annually, Hochul and Mamdani said at a press briefing at a YMCA in Flatbush, Brooklyn.
Affordability: Universal childcare
The initiative builds on New York City’s existing universal prekindergarten and 3K programs and marks the first time the city has committed to free child care for children younger than three. City officials said the initial rollout would prioritize high-need neighborhoods, with details to be finalized in consultation with families and child care providers.
“This is going to be the difference for so many families in whether or not they can stay in the city or are forced to leave,” Mamdani said, calling the announcement a turning point for working parents.
The city-state agreement is part of a broader child care agenda Hochul outlined Thursday, which includes expanding child care subsidies, strengthening the city’s 3K program with a $100 million investment, and committing to universal pre-K access for all four-year-olds statewide by the 2028–29 school year.
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell 
A child leaps off the stage during Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani’s press conference on child care in BrooklynPhoto by Lloyd Mitchell
The first year of the 2-Care program is expected to cost about $75 million to serve roughly 2,000 two-year-olds, with the second year projected at $425 million, officials said. In addition, the city will invest $100 million to strengthen and expand the existing 3K program. Hochul described the combined new investment as roughly $1.7 billion for the first two years, part of a broader $4.5 billion commitment that includes previously allocated funds. She said the state could cover these costs without raising taxes and will outline detailed funding sources in her upcoming budget proposal.
Hochul added the state’s commitments would move forward despite uncertainty caused by recent federal actions affecting child care funding. Earlier this week, the Trump administration notified New York that billions of dollars in federal child care and social services funding could be at risk, prompting the state to prepare legal challenges.
“This will not affect these commitments,” Hochul said on Thursday. “We are looking at our litigation strategies… We’ve been successful in court before. The shame that everything we do has to start with a call to my lawyer and say one more lawsuit that we have to file, but that’s the world under Donald Trump, so we’re going to fight back.”
New York City’s child care system has faced mounting pressure from staff shortages, rising costs, and limited availability. While the city offers child care vouchers to eligible families through the Administration for Children’s Services, many families struggle to secure placements, and voucher waitlists have periodically closed.
New York State has the second-highest average child care costs in the nation, with families paying an average of $14,621 per child annually. In New York City, the average annual cost rose to $18,200 per child in 2024, a 79 percent increase since 2019.
During his mayoral campaign, Mamdani pledged to make child care free for all city children from six weeks to five years old and to raise wages for child care workers. State officials framed Thursday’s announcement as an early but significant step toward that goal, as part of a longer-term plan to build a universal child care system statewide.
Hochul said details on funding sources would be included in her upcoming budget proposal and said the state could absorb the costs without raising taxes.
Thursday’s announcement quickly drew praise from education and social service leaders, who lauded the announcement for prioritizing families and children.
Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, said the plan “puts children and families first” and provides long-overdue support for home-based child care providers. “We are ready to help turn this plan into reality,” he added.
Christine C. Quinn, president and CEO of Win, a major provider of housing and services for homeless families, said affordable child care is essential to addressing broader social challenges. “The high cost of childcare is a driving force in the family homelessness crisis,” Quinn said. “Governor Hochul’s leadership… puts hardworking families first and builds a solid foundation for statewide universal childcare. Aided by the extraordinary vision of Mayor Mamdani, New York is one step closer to ending the family homelessness crisis.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.