New York City parents, take a deep breath: a major new financial relief plan is on the way for families struggling with the crushing cost of early childhood care. Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani have officially announced the launch of a new initiative that promises to deliver free child care for two-year-olds across the five boroughs.
The new program, officially dubbed “2-Care,” is designed to fill a critical and notoriously expensive gap in the city’s early education system, which already includes universal Pre-K for four-year-olds and 3-K for three-year-olds. For many working families, the two-year-old year is often the most financially challenging, with costs in the city soaring to an average of $23,400 per year—an expense that for many New Yorkers can rival the cost of rent.
A Phased Rollout for Families
While the announcement is a cause for celebration, the free child care won’t roll out all at once. The “2-Care” program will begin its phased launch in high-need neighborhoods in September 2026. Initially, the city is expected to open 2,000 slots in its first year, representing a $75 million investment to get the project off the ground. The ambitious goal is to expand the program gradually until it is available citywide by the 2029–30 school year.
Governor Hochul, speaking at a celebratory event, emphasized the importance of this step in easing the cost of living for working New Yorkers. The Governor has committed to having the state fully fund the first two years of the “2-Care” program, providing a massive boost to the city’s ability to stabilize and launch the initiative.
Addressing a Parent’s Nightmare
Mayor Mamdani, who made universal child care a cornerstone of his campaign, hailed the agreement as a significant political victory and a win for the city’s working-class residents. He noted that the joint commitment by the state and city marks a transformative step toward making New York a place where every family can afford to stay and raise their children.
The need for this program is clear. Unlike 3-K and Pre-K, care for two-year-olds is typically only available through EarlyLearn or other subsidy-based programs, which are often means-tested and face massive demand. Experts have pointed out that only a fraction of eligible toddlers in the city currently receive child care subsidies, leaving the vast majority of families to fend for themselves in the private market. “2-Care” aims to simplify this process and open up a full-day, full-year option for all families, regardless of their income, just like the existing programs for older children.
The Bigger State Picture
This New York City initiative is also part of a wider statewide push to address child care access. The Governor’s proposal includes a commitment to expanding universal Pre-K for all four-year-olds across the entire state by the 2028-29 school year. Furthermore, the state is heavily investing in the infrastructure needed to support this massive expansion, having recently announced a $100 million Child Care Capital Construction Funding Program to build and expand child care facilities across New York.
The new “2-Care” program is seen as a crucial pillar in the state and city’s shared roadmap toward making universal child care a reality, providing a much-needed lifeline to parents who have long been struggling with one of the biggest economic burdens of family life in New York.