New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Tuesday that the city will add 1,000 new free preschool seats for 3-year-olds across 56 ZIP codes this coming fall, expanding access to the popular 3-K program in all five boroughs, including previously underserved neighborhoods in Staten Island.
Expansion Targets High-Demand Areas
The new seats will be spread across a wide mix of neighborhoods where families have shown strong interest in the program and where childcare centers have the capacity to take on more students.
The areas receiving new seats range from affluent sections like Manhattan's Upper West Side to working-class communities such as Jackson Heights in Queens. On Staten Island, neighborhoods including Port Richmond and Tottenville are set to gain 3-K seats for the first time under this expansion, according to the New York Times.
The addition of 1,000 seats will push the total number of 3-K slots citywide above 40,000. The program currently serves approximately 39,400 students, while the city's prekindergarten program for 4-year-olds accommodates around 51,700 students.
Staten Island Inclusion Addresses "Forgotten Borough" Frustration
Mayor Mamdani made the announcement in Staten Island, a deliberate choice meant to signal the borough's inclusion in the city's broader childcare agenda.
Local officials had previously expressed frustration after Staten Island was left out of the initial rollout of Mamdani's signature 2-Care program for 2-year-olds. The Mamdani administration has confirmed that Staten Island will be included in the 2-K expansion planned for fall 2027, which is expected to add 10,000 new seats citywide.
Read more: NYC Mayor Zorah Mamdani's Plan To Amend Gifted Programs Draws Criticism From Education Experts
Fixing Gaps Left by the Previous Administration
The expansion comes after many families struggled to find nearby 3-K placements during former Mayor Eric Adams' tenure, when the program faced proposed budget cuts and enrollment challenges.
Mamdani, who campaigned on a platform of affordability and universal childcare, has made early childhood education a central priority since taking office, CBS News reported.
"For too long, families were told childcare was universal but were offered seats miles away, forcing them to pay out of pocket or leave the city," Mamdani said in a statement. "By making 3-K truly universal, we are building a city where every New Yorker can raise a family."
State Funding Supports the Push
Governor Kathy Hochul has pledged $100 million in state funding to help stabilize the 3-K program. The state will also cover expenses for the first two years of the city's new 2-K initiative. However, neither Mamdani nor Hochul has disclosed how long-term funding for these programs will be sustained beyond the initial commitments.
Families Can Still Update Applications
Councilwoman Kayla Santosuosso of southern Brooklyn, who is expecting her first child, praised the expansion, noting that neighborhoods in her district, such as Bath Beach and Gravesend, will receive additional seats.
As new 3-K programs are introduced, families will be notified and given the opportunity to update their applications until April 24. In some neighborhoods, families who have not secured a seat continue to pay upward of $20,000 per year for private preschool, underscoring the urgency of the city's expansion efforts, as per ABC7NY.
