NEW YORK CITY — Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the NYC Administration for Children's Services announced on Monday that the city will provide free child care to more than 10,000 children by moving them off the Child Care Assistance Program voucher waitlist.
The expansion, supported by $1.2 billion in state funding secured by Governor Kathy Hochul for New York City child care initiatives, will benefit eligible low-income children ages 6 weeks through 13 years, and through age 19 for children with special needs. Of the state investment, $475 million is designated specifically for child care vouchers.
"For families struggling to make ends meet, and the providers who deliver them high-quality and consistent child care, access to vouchers is nothing short of transformational. Today's voucher expansion is a critical step in ensuring no family is left behind in our movement towards universal childcare," Mamdani said.
ACS will begin inviting families on the waitlist to apply for vouchers in the coming weeks, with invitations rolling out over the next several months.
Eligible families will receive vouchers covering the cost of care at a provider of their choice. Federal requirements prioritize families earning less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level, families experiencing homelessness and those with children who have special needs.
The city has also updated its child care map at nyc.gov/childcare, allowing families to search for licensed providers and filter for programs that accept child care vouchers.
The announcement follows a $5.2 million city investment to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for families receiving child care assistance and the launch of the city's first free, universal 2-K program.
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