New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled a plan to boost child care spending, marking progress toward universal care for children under five. The initiative commits $1.21 billion to New York City to begin implementing the program this year. Mamdani highlighted it as a step to restore faith in democracy by delivering on campaign promises.
On Thursday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul appeared together to announce a significant expansion of child care funding. This plan aims to increase state spending starting this year, with the ultimate goal of providing universal child care across New York for children under five.
In an interview with NPR's All Things Considered, Mamdani explained that the state is committing $1.21 billion specifically for New York City to take initial steps toward universal child care. He noted that the funding will support fixes to make universal care for 3-year-olds a reality and enable the enrollment of about 2,000 two-year-olds this fall.
Mamdani praised Hochul for her partnership and her pledge to fund the plan over the next two years. The announcement follows a press conference on January 6, where the two leaders discussed the initiative.
Addressing broader concerns, Mamdani spoke to NPR's Juana Summers about how the city and state will finance and manage the expanded program. He also touched on challenges from the Trump administration's freeze on federal child care assistance and immigration enforcement policies.
Mamdani emphasized the importance of fulfilling promises, stating that unkept commitments have eroded public trust in politics. "If we want people to believe in our democracy, we have to show them that our democracy can actually deliver for them," he said. This move represents a key fulfillment of Mamdani's campaign pledge for universal child care.
