NYC Opens 1st Free Child Care Center For City Workers: See Inside

NEW YORK CITY — The city on Tuesday opened "The Little Apple", the City’s first free child care center dedicated to municipal employees and their families.

Located on the first floor of the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building, the 4,000-square-foot center will provide free, year-round, on-site care for up to 40 children ages 6 weeks to 3 years beginning September 10.

The facility includes four classrooms, a pantry, teacher’s lounge, and stroller storage room. DCAS managed the $10 million renovation.

"The Little Apple is what it looks like when a city takes care of the people who keep it running," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.

"Our babies and toddlers will spend their days in a brand-new, joyful center where they can learn, play and build friendships, while their parents have the peace of mind of knowing their children are safe, cared for and close by — all without having to choose between quality care and making ends meet.”

City officials say the program could return up to $20,000 annually to working families by eliminating child care costs. The initiative is also intended to strengthen the City’s ability to recruit and retain employees, increase workplace productivity, and support working parents.

The Little Apple will be operated by Imagine Early Learning Centers, a 100% employee-owned provider serving more than 600 children at 12 centers across the New York metropolitan area.

The center will operate weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and provide an evidence-based curriculum emphasizing early learning, socialization, and healthy development.