NYC announces free childcare pilot program for municipal workers

New York City announced its first free childcare pilot program for municipal workers on Monday — another step in Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s plan of providing universal childcare.

The pilot will include all city workers based at the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building at 1 Centre St. in addition to all Department of Citywide Administrative Services workers regardless of work location.

The program will operate on the ground floor of the municipal building and provide year-round care Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

According to the city, a $10 million renovation is currently underway to build a 4,000-square-foot child care facility in the municipal building. It is expected that it will be completed this fall. It will serve about 40 children ages 6 weeks to 3-years-old.

Applications will open on April 30. To be eligible, employees must:  

• Be a full-time DCAS employee regardless of work location or a full-time City employee at 1 Centre St.   
• Be a parent or legal guardian of a child between the ages of 6 weeks (as of Sept. 1, 2026) and 3 years old (as of Dec. 31, 2026).    
• Families may submit one application per child.

Those selected will be notified in June. Families not selected will be placed on a waitlist.

By expanding access to free childcare on-site, the city is putting about $20,000 a year back in the pockets of working families in an effort to retain top talent and boost productivity, the mayor’s office said.

“Change begins at home. As we deliver universal child care to New Yorkers, that work must include the public servants who keep this city running,” Mamdani said. “We are bringing year-round, no-cost child care right here to Lower Manhattan — not just saving families money, but giving them back hours of their time. No parent should have to spend hours commuting just to ensure their child is safe and cared for.”

The Municipal Building, one of the largest government office buildings in the world, More than 2,000 people work in the municipal building, one of the largest government office buildings in the world.