Mamdani, Hochul plan joint NYC childcare announcement amid push for free access

He made expanding free childcare a key component of his campaign, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani has hit the ground running on that front, partnering with the state to deliver funds and future ideas for NYC schools.

On Tuesday, Mamdani plans to tour a site along with Gov. Kathy Hochul and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels, with a joint announcement to follow. The mayor is expected to take questions at this event. Among those, most likely: What is his response to the latest developments in the Middle East?

On the childcare front, Mamdani’s ambitious agenda has been met with heavy skepticism. His January announcement with Hochul was a significant political victory in the opening days of his mayoralty, coming after a campaign that centered on elevating the needs of the city’s struggling working-class residents.

Hochul, a moderate who is up for reelection this year, has been politically aligned with the city’s new progressive mayor on his plan to offer free childcare in the city, though questions remain on how the program could take shape and what it might cost over the long term.

The governor has said she is committing to funding the first two years of the city’s free child care program for 2-year-olds, describing it as an expansion of the city’s existing universal pre-K and 3-K programs.

The first year will focus on “high-need areas” selected by the city, then expand across the city by its fourth year, according to the statement.

Mamdani said he expects the program to cover around 2,000 children this fall and then continue to expand until it becomes a universal program. He said the city will work with home-based providers to implement the plan.

Additionally, Hochul rolled out a sweeping, longer-term proposal to expand access to universal pre-K statewide, with the goal of having the program available throughout New York by the start of the 2028-2029 school year.

Hochul is set to attend Tuesday’s tour and press conference.

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