New York City—Today, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani took a bold and historic step to expand New York City’s care infrastructure by launching entirely free child care for two-year-olds.
Below is a statement by Nicole Jorwic, Chief Program Officer of Caring Across Generations:
“New York is showing the nation what’s possible when we invest in families, and how investing public funds in care relieves the affordability crisis millions of families are facing. New York City has already shown what’s possible with universal Pre-K and 3K. Expanding to two year olds—while fully funding the first two years implementation—builds on that success and sends a clear message: child care is essential infrastructure, and families deserve support from the very beginning. By prioritizing families first and committing to citywide expansion, this initiative centers equity while laying the foundation for universal access and massive economic relief for New York families.
“When child care is affordable and accessible, families can work, children can thrive, and communities grow stronger. This unprecedented investment shows what leadership looks like, and what’s possible, when we treat care as a public good.”
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Caring Across Generations is a national organization of family caregivers, care workers, disabled people, and aging adults working to transform the way we care in this country so that care is accessible, affordable and equitable— and our systems of care enable everyone to live, work, and age with dignity.
To achieve our vision, we transform cultural norms and narratives about aging, disability and care; win federal and state-level policies; and build power amongst the people touched by care. For more information, visit caringacross.org.