New York unveils plan for universal childcare

New York is on its way to becoming the first state to offer universal childcare. Gov. Kathy Hochul and new New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have announced what they call an “unprecedented investment” to create affordable, universal childcare for children under five years of age, as well as free childcare to two-year-olds in New York City. The plan calls for all four-year-old in the state to have pre-K access by the 2028-29 school year, as well as the expansion of childcare subsidies to tens of thousands of additional families. The state will also launch an Office of Child Care and Early Education. Hochul, who is up for re-election this year, says the plan will “transform the lives of working parents and kids across our state.”