As New York City opened enrollment for 3-K and pre-K on Wednesday, Mayor Mamdani took a swipe at Eric Adams for cutting funds and outreach efforts, accusing his predecessor of willfully keeping parents in the dark about the availability of free child care.
Adams faced criticism as mayor for not doing enough to grow 3-K enrollment when the city was left holding the bag for an expansion started under former mayor Bill de Blasio. Universal 3-K was rolled out with the help of federal funding that expired after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many New Yorkers are unaware these opportunities exist,” Mamdani said during a news conference at Cypress Hills Child Care Corporation in Brooklyn. “Frankly, that is no accident. The past administration sought to not only cut funding for the program, but also to cut outreach and advertising about early childhood education, as well.”
The result, Mamdani charged, was thousands of empty seats, especially in parts of the city with large populations of immigrant and low-income families who stood to benefit the most from free child-care programs.
Before the winter break, more than 42,400 students had enrolled in 3-K programs, according to data provided by the city school system. That left close to 9,600 unfilled seats for 3-year-olds — for a utilization rate of 82% citywide.
“We will write a new story from our City Hall — one where we improve existing programs, invest in our families and use our platform to spread the word to as many New Yorkers as we can,” Mamdani said.
To fill the empty seats, Mamdani — who ran for mayor on the promise of universal child care for kids ages 6 weeks to 5 years old — pledged a “full-court press” by city government, including a new video on TaxiTV monitors in yellow cabs, LinkNYC kiosks on the sidewalks, and on social and other digital media.
Asked about Mamdani’s criticism, Adams spokesman Todd Shapiro said: “Eric Adams was a champion for children and families during his four years in office, and has done more for education than any mayor in decades. May the new mayor have an equal success rate as Mayor Adams had.”
Adams’ administration started a $5-million outreach program with the City Council that tapped local organizations to get the word out about 3-K and pre-K and provide hands-on enrollment support.
The application launch came nearly a week after Mamdani joined Gov. Hochul to announce $100 million in new state funding to help shore up the promise of truly universal 3-K, alongside funds to launch free child care for 2-year-olds in the city.
The investment took aim at a stubborn irony of the city’s 3-K system: While many seats remain available, families too often get matched with a program far from home, forcing them to give up the free care they were offered.
Pressed on whether he can guarantee all kids will get an early-education seat in the neighborhood where they live, Mamdani hedged slightly: “We are guaranteeing every single parent a seat when they apply for this. We are doing the work to make sure that those seats will be far closer than they have been.”