Hochul and Mamdani unveil new free child care plan for 2-year-olds

Published January 8, 2026 3:44pm ET



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.

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