Make 2-K permanent.
Parents won the first free seats for two-year-olds in New York’s history — $500 million, with the first seats opening this fall. But one-time money runs out. We’re fighting to fund 2-K for good, so it can’t be quietly cut in a lean budget year.
LIVE NOW
Updated August 2026
Why it matters.
Too many child care seats in New York don’t work for working families. Most 3-K and Pre-K programs in New York City run from 8am until 2:30pm — and pause for the summer.
Jobs don’t work that way. As a result, parents pay thousands for after-care, scramble to leave work early, or leave their jobs entirely. Mothers and hourly workers pay the highest price.