{"id":39861,"date":"2026-03-11T12:21:37","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T12:21:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/?p=39861"},"modified":"2026-03-11T12:21:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T12:21:37","slug":"mayor-mamdani-announces-major-3-k-expansion-adding-more-than-1000-new-seats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/archives\/39861","title":{"rendered":"Mayor Mamdani announces major 3-K expansion, adding more than 1,000 new seats"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEWYORK: Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced on Staten Island a major expansion of 3-K across all five boroughs. The City will add more than 1,000 new seats in 56 ZIP codes \u2013 moving New York closer to making 3-K truly universal for the first time.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Beginning this September, families in five ZIP codes in the Bronx, six on Staten Island, eight in Brooklyn, 16 in Manhattan and 21 in Queens will see expanded 3-K access, delivering on the Mamdani Administration\u2019s commitment to fix and strengthen the program.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor too long, families were promised universal 3-K but offered seats miles away \u2014 forcing them to pay out of pocket for child care or leave the city,\u201d said\u00a0Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. \u201cToday we\u2019re making a new commitment: government can deliver real relief from the affordability crisis. By making 3-K truly universal, we\u2019re building a city where every New Yorker can afford to raise a family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNew York’s families thrive when our kids are supported and families aren’t burdened by the costs of childcare. I’m proud to partner with Mayor Mamdani to expand 3-K to more families across all five boroughs, building on our progress to deliver universal childcare and build a more affordable New York for all,\u201d said\u00a0Governor Kathy Hochul.<\/p>\n

\u201cExpanding access to 3-K means giving more of our youngest New Yorkers the strong start they deserve,\u201d said\u00a0New York City Public Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels. \u201cAdding seats in communities where demand is growing helps more families access high-quality early childhood education that supports children\u2019s learning, development and long-term success. This expansion reflects our commitment to meeting families where they are and ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive from the very beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n

The expansion of 3-K is a significant step toward easing the childcare burden on working families and supporting our youngest learners during their most critical years of development,\u201d said\u00a0Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. \u201cAs our city continues to face an affordability crisis, investments like today\u2019s announcement help ensure that families do not have to choose between work and caring for their loved ones. I want to thank Mayor Zohran Mamdani for prioritizing early childhood education, and I am excited to see this initiative grow throughout our city.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor Manhattan families, access to reliable child care can make the difference between being able to stay in the workforce or being forced to make impossible choices. Expanding 3-K seats throughout our borough will help more young Manhattanites get a strong start while giving parents the support they need. I thank Mayor Mamdani and Chancellor Samuels for continuing the push to make 3-K truly universal across New York City,\u201d said\u00a0Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal.<\/p>\n

\u201cFree 3-K is an essential service for New Yorkers, providing young ones with the foundation for success throughout their academic careers,\u201d said\u00a0Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. \u201cThanks to Mayor Mamdani’s leadership, this major expansion of 3-K will ensure every family has access to a 3-K center close to home, and I’m thrilled to see new seats added in every corner of our borough. Yet another huge step in the march toward universal childcare!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor four years, I fought tooth and nail just to make sure we weren’t losing seats, so to see this administration committing to 3-K expansion into every borough is nothing short of a breath of fresh air. This is what we’ve been working toward: a program that is truly universal, that meets families where they are, in every zip code, in every community across this city. Today, that promise gets even closer to becoming a reality,\u201d said\u00a0Chair Jennifer Guti\u00e9rrez, Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a city for all of us and every child deserves a world class education. Your zip code should never decide your fate in life and now, with the expansion of 3-K across 56 zip codes, we are setting every student up for success. Investing in the youngest New Yorkers now yields positive outcomes for years to come. I greatly look forward to working with the administration to expand opportunity wherever possible,\u201d said\u00a0Council Member Eric Dinowitz, Chair of the Education Committee.<\/p>\n

\u201cNYC’s 3-K for All has saved parents more than $20,000 a year and helped make New York City a place where working- and middle-class families can afford to raise their children. But when the previous administration began making cuts, the promise of universal 3-K was put at risk, leaving thousands of families out in the cold. In 2023, parents and would-be parents got organized, refusing to accept the status quo. Now, thanks to the Governor’s commitment to properly fund 3-K and the Mayor’s dedication to truly universal child care, all 3-year-olds across New York City will have access to the 3-K they were promised with quality care that, critically, are available nearby home,\u201d said\u00a0Rebecca Bailin, executive director of New Yorkers United for Child Care.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a family of four with a six year old daughter and a six month old baby boy. When our daughter went to 3-K, we saw how much early learning can help children. She became more confident and learned skills that helped her get ready for school. Right now, my husband is the only one working, and even though he works very hard, rising costs for groceries, rent, and everyday needs make it difficult to keep up. Access to early child care would allow me to work and help support our household while knowing our children are in a safe and caring environment. For our family, child care is more than just someone to watch our kids. It helps them learn and grow and gives us a chance to build a more stable future,\u201d said\u00a0Silvia, a La Colmena Staten Island mother.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEWYORK: Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced on Staten Island a major expansion of 3-K across all five boroughs. The City will add more than 1,000 new seats in 56 ZIP codes \u2013 moving New York closer to making 3-K truly universal for the first time. Beginning this September, families in five ZIP codes in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":39862,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1469,31,1378],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39861","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-york","category-news","category-us"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39861","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39861"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39861\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39864,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39861\/revisions\/39864"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39862"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39861"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39861"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}