The Daily Populous Friday January 9th, 2026 night edition
Authored by abcnews.go.com and submitted by Dr_Neurol

New York City parents may soon have access to free child care for their 2-year-olds, under a plan set to be unveiled by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani answers a question from media after a press conference with New York Governor Kathy Hochul and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

NEW YORK -- New York City parents may soon have access to free child care for their 2-year-olds, under a plan set to be unveiled Thursday by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The two Democrats are expected to detail the program at a news conference Thursday morning, along with a pledge from Hochul to pursue a wider, statewide free child care initiative.

“There’s one thing that every family in New York can agree on, the cost of childcare is simply too high,” Hochul said in a statement. “As New York’s first mom Governor, fighting for New York’s families has always been at the core of my agenda.”

For Mamdani, the announcement is the first step in fulfilling one of his trademark campaign promises, marking a major boon for the mayor just days after he took office with the promise of implementing a transformative agenda focused on making the city a more affordable place to live.

“This victory represents much more than a triumph of city and state government working in partnership — it is proof that when New Yorkers come together, we can transform the way government serves working families,” he said in a statement.

In a statement provided by the governor's office ahead of the announcement, Hochul said she is committing to fully funding the first two years of the city's free child care program for 2-year-olds, describing it as an expansion of the city's existing universal pre-K program.

The first year will focus on “high-need areas” selected by the city, then expand across the city by its fourth year, according to the statement.

Mand125 on January 8th, 2026 at 21:31 UTC »

As a New Mexico resident who has recently had this implemented statewide for all families, it it nothing short of breathtaking. It makes such a huge difference.

What did it cost you?

Taxing oil and gas companies.

Don’t listen to anyone who says things like this can’t be done.

Bryandan1elsonV2 on January 8th, 2026 at 16:53 UTC »

I need to get Mayor Wu on the phone right now. Massachusetts childcare costs are debilitating.

francis2559 on January 8th, 2026 at 15:13 UTC »

> The two Democrats are expected to detail the program at a news conference Thursday morning, along with a pledge from Hochul to pursue a wider, statewide free child care initiative.

This would be a godsend for my friends.

Hochul has been frustrating in the past (congestion pricing) but it would be lovely if she finds room to move left.