Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Public Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels announced on April 16 that seven new early childhood education centers will open across the city this fall, providing about 240 additional 3-K seats. The announcement is part of the first phase of a broader expansion of the city’s 3-K program for the upcoming 2026–27 school year.
The initiative aims to address community demand by utilizing previously vacant sites and expanding access to early childhood education closer to where families live. City officials said that expanding capacity among existing contracted providers will add more seats, with further center-based expansions expected after evaluating responses to a recent Request for Information.
“Today, we are opening doors that should never have been closed to our families — safe, nurturing spaces where their children can learn and grow, in their own communities,” said Mayor Mamdani. “For too long, truly accessible child care was just out of reach. By bringing these sites online, we’re making clear that no amount of red tape will get in the way of delivering the free, universal child care New Yorkers deserve.”
Schools Chancellor Samuels said: “We have been deliberate about how we approach early care and education and are taking meaningful steps to put more seats closer to the families that need them most. These are more than just additional seats. They are the foundation every child needs to thrive, and we are committed to making sure no family in our system has to look too far to find a high-quality program for their child.”
Site selections were determined based on community demand, seat availability, site readiness and each site’s ability to open for the upcoming school year. Families who have already applied will receive instructions via email on updating their applications through MySchools; those who missed deadlines can still join waitlists.
This move follows earlier actions by the Mamdani Administration—including launching full-day universal child care for two-year-olds with an initial offering of 2,000 seats this year—and expands over 1,000 additional 3-K seats across dozens of ZIP codes.
