Overview
- City and state officials announced Tuesday that applications are open through June 26 for free 2‑K seats in School Districts 6, 10, 18, 23 and 27.
- Families can apply online through MySchools, by calling the Department of Education hotline, or by visiting Family Welcome Centers, with offers scheduled to be released in August.
- The pilot will provide 2,000 full‑day seats this fall, operating roughly 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for about 260 days, through center-based programs and licensed family child care homes.
- Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani framed the rollout as the first phase of a multi‑year plan backed by a $1.2 billion state investment to move toward universal 2‑K access.
- Officials note New York has more than 50,000 two‑year‑olds, and the next steps to watch are whether capacity expands to 12,000 next year and how providers are recruited and funded to meet full‑day demand.