Mayor Adams unveils 10-point plan to transform early childhood education in NYC

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, alongside City Council leadership, introduced a transformative 10-point plan aimed at making high-quality child care more affordable and accessible across the city.

This ambitious initiative, backed by a $3 billion investment in the FY25 budget, includes $100 million in new funding and seeks to reimagine the city’s early childhood education system.

“All families deserve to live in a city with a safe, nurturing, and affordable place to leave their children, while being given the opportunity to pursue their dreams,” declared Mayor Adams. He emphasized the plan’s focus on allocating resources effectively, expanding access for students with disabilities and undocumented families, and conducting robust family outreach.

The new initiative promises to create over 1,500 additional 3-K seats in high-demand areas and extend support for undocumented children through the Promise NYC program. “Access to affordable child care is one of the largest drivers of economic mobility, especially for women,” added Mayor Adams.

City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams praised the joint effort, stating, “Improving and investing in our city’s early childhood education system has always been this Council’s priority… While we celebrate this progress, we will continue the collaborative work to fix the inefficiencies in our early childhood education system to better serve families.”

The plan includes expanding preschool special education classrooms, providing free extended hours of early childhood education, and funding the Mayor’s Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education. The administration has also committed to supporting child care providers and establishing a Child Care Advisory Group to ensure alignment with provider and family priorities.

Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Ana Almanzar highlighted the significance of this investment: “With over $3 billion invested in the early childhood education system and $100 million in new funding, the Adams administration is building an early childhood education system centered on parent- and caregiver-choice, supports for providers, and delivering high-quality options for families.”

This comprehensive strategy reflects the city’s commitment to supporting working-class families and ensuring their children have access to foundational skills for success.