BROOKLYN, NY — Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Department of Education on Tuesday announced that the city will open seven formerly vacant early childhood education centers — including a Downtown Brooklyn site this fall.
The openings this fall will add about 240 new 3-K seats citywide.
At press conference at 274 Atlantic Ave., Mamdani said that no family should have to "cross borough lines for child care when the space exists right on their block."
"For years, these classrooms sat empty while parents were told to wait. Today we're opening doors – and we're proving that this city can meet the urgency of working families with action, not excuses," he added.
The Atlantic Ave. education center will provide 63 3-K and pre-K seats, city officials said.
Mamdani also announced that the city will add 450 3-K seats at community-based organizations this fall, the first phase of a broader expansion aimed at making 3-K universal.
"I am proud to expand access to these critically-needed programs for nearly 700 kids across the City, ensuring New York's Cutest have the strong start they deserve," Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels said.
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