New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) unveiled a plan on Thursday to give 2-year-olds in the city free child care.
The announcement began Mamdani’s 2025 campaign promise of universal child care. The plan will expand the city’s program to include 2-year-olds for free and bolster the program for children aged 3 and above, the pair said. On the state level, Hochul announced a commitment to expand universal pre-K for all 4-year-olds in the state by the 2028-2029 school year.
“Over the past 14 months, a movement was born to fight for a city where every New Yorker could afford a life of dignity and every family could afford to raise their kids. Today, Governor Hochul and I meet that movement as we celebrate our joint commitment to universal child care,” Mamdani said in a statement.
Betting on Mamdani’s platform idea, Hochul committed the state to fully funding the first two years of New York City’s new so-called “2-care” program. Hochul said the additional investment is $1.7 billion, bringing the fiscal 2027 child care and pre-K investment statewide to $4.5 billion.
Hochul’s press release said her administration has invested a total of $8 billion in child care across the state.
“Since taking office, I’ve put families front and center, fighting to make our state more affordable and laying the groundwork to deliver universal childcare,” Hochul said in a statement. “Today, I’m proud to partner with Mayor Mamdani and leaders across our state to make this a reality.”
Mamdani campaigned on increasing taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers and large corporations to fund his proposed policies, which are likely to have substantial price tags, including universal child care and free busing.
MAMDANI VOWS TO GOVERN AS ‘DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST’ AND EMBRACE BIG GOVERNMENT
Hochul’s administration will also add a statewide Office of Child Care and Early Education to implement the plan and oversee early childhood education.
Hochul is up for reelection in 2026 and is likely to face Trump-endorsed Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in the general election.
