As part of the next phase in delivering “affordable, universal childcare” for children under five across New York State, Governor Kathy Hochul, in partnership with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, announced plans to provide free childcare for two-year-olds in New York City. The partnership will also strengthen the city’s existing 3K program, with the goal of achieving universal access and ultimately serving all families citywide.

In an announcement on January 8, the New York City Mayor’s Office said that beginning in 2026, the state will continue expanding access to high-quality childcare programs across New York through a range of delivery models. The initiative is expected to save families statewide billions of dollars each year.

Since taking office, Governor Hochul has taken significant steps to expand access to affordable childcare, including an $8 billion investment in the state’s childcare infrastructure. According to the statement, these efforts have substantially increased access and laid the foundation for the eventual implementation of universal childcare statewide.

“There’s one thing that every family in New York can agree on, the cost of childcare is simply too high,” Governor Hochul said. “As New York’s first mom Governor, fighting for New York’s families has always been at the core of my agenda. Since taking office, I’ve put families front and center, fighting to make our state more affordable and laying the groundwork to deliver universal childcare. Today, I’m proud to partner with Mayor Mamdani and leaders across our state to make this a reality, turning that foundation into a concrete roadmap that will transform the lives of working parents and kids across our state.”

Mayor Mamdani highlighted the broader significance of the initiative, framing it as the result of sustained advocacy for working families.

“Over the past 14 months, a movement was born to fight for a city where every New Yorker could afford a life of dignity and every family could afford to raise their kids. Today, Governor Hochul and I meet that movement as we celebrate our joint commitment to universal child care,” Mamdani said. “This victory represents much more than a triumph of city and state government working in partnership—it is proof that when New Yorkers come together, we can transform the way government serves working families.”

Under Governor Hochul’s State of the State agenda, the statement added, new investments are expected to deliver affordable childcare to nearly 100,000 additional children. Key components of the plan include making pre-K truly universal statewide, partnering with New York City to launch the mayor’s signature 2-Care program and fulfill the promise of universal 3K access, supporting counties in developing new childcare pilot programs that offer high-quality affordable care regardless of income, and expanding childcare subsidies to tens of thousands more families.

In addition, the governor will establish an Office of Child Care and Early Education to guide the implementation of high-quality, universal childcare across the state, the statement said.

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