This is a developing story. Details are continuing to emerge and this article will be updated as additional information becomes available.

At an event held on February 5, 2026, the city officially opened its request for information (RFI) directed at new providers interested in offering 2-K and 3-K services beginning this fall. This marks the first time the administration is inviting providers to participate in 2-K, and the first expansion of new provider recruitment for 3-K since 2019. The initiative builds on last month’s joint announcement of the new 2-K program by Mayor Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul.

Alongside the RFI, the city is also releasing surveys to existing contracted early childhood providers who may be interested in either expanding their current 3-K capacity or offering new 2-K programs. Both the RFI and provider expansion surveys are being issued by New York City Public Schools in coordination with the Mayor’s Office of Child Care. The deadline for submissions is February 19, 2026.

"The cost of child care is pushing New Yorkers out of the city they call home, forcing parents to give up careers they fought for and to make impossible choices about whether they can afford to grow their families at all," said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. "That's not an accident, it's a policy failure. And it's why this administration is moving with urgency to deliver universal child care."

Mamdani emphasized the importance of expanding access and supporting those on the front lines of early child care. "Just 36 days in, we are launching a Request for Information to bring new providers into 2-K and 3-K, alongside a survey inviting current providers to expand," he said. "Our commitment is simple: every family who needs childcare should be able to get it, and the educators and providers who make it possible must have the support they deserve."

According to the administration, the rollout of 2-K seats will begin this fall in initial neighborhoods. The city aims to expand the program annually, with a goal of serving all interested families citywide by the fourth year. In tandem, 3-K programs will also grow in reach, addressing longstanding demand from families across New York City.

Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels highlighted the strategic nature of the expansion. "This is another exciting and important moment for early childhood education in New York City," he said. "We're taking a thoughtful approach to giving our youngest learners a strong foundation, one that begins with listening to our community partners and responding to where families need us most."

Samuels affirmed the administration’s focus on sustainable growth. "Through deliberate planning, we're committed to sustainable growth that expands access for New York's cutest while supporting the dedicated educators and providers who make early learning possible across all five boroughs."

The Mamdani Administration’s investment in early childhood education is among its first key policy initiatives, reinforcing its promise to make New York City more livable for working families. By tackling the cost and accessibility of child care, city officials say they are addressing a core issue facing families considering whether they can continue to live, and grow in the five boroughs.

With today's announcement, the city's efforts to provide universal child care take a concrete step forward as it calls on both new and existing providers to join the initiative. As the February 19 submission deadline approaches, attention now turns to the response from early childhood organizations citywide.