Mayor Mamdani Advances NYC's First Free Child Care Program Pilot for Municipal Workers

Approximately 40 children ages 6 weeks to 3 years will receive free, year-round childcare 8 AM to 6 PM Monday - Friday

All City workers based out of the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building are now eligible in addition to all DCAS employees regardless of work location

Applications will launch on April 30; Program will kick off this fall following the completion of $10 million renovation of 4,000-square-foot facility

NEW YORK — Today, New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Yume Kitasei announced that the City’s first free, on-site child care pilot program for City workers will open applications on April 30, 2026.

Under Mayor Mamdani, the program has been expanded to include all City workers based at the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building at 1 Centre Street in addition to all DCAS employees regardless of work location. The Municipal Building, one of the largest government office buildings in the world, houses more than 2,000 employees across a dozen municipal agencies.

The program will operate on the ground floor of the building’s North Tower and provide year-round care Mondays through Fridays from 8 AM to 6 PM. The $10 million renovation is underway to construct a 4,000-square-foot child care facility, with completion expected this fall.

The brand-new center will serve approximately 40 children ages 6 weeks to 3 years and offer an evidence-based, developmentally appropriate curriculum designed to support early learning, socialization and growth.

By expanding access to free, on-site child care, the City is putting upwards of $20,000 a year back in the pockets of working families. The program is also expected to improve the retention of top talent, boost productivity and strengthen job satisfaction among working parents.

Applications will open on April 30, 2026. To be eligible, employees must:

• Be a full-time DCAS employee regardless of work location or a full-time City employee who is assigned to 1 Centre Street.

• Be a parent or legal guardian of a child between the ages of 6 weeks (as of Sept. 1, 2026) and 3 years old (as of Dec. 31, 2026).

Families may submit one application per child. Full eligibility details will be available on the DCAS website when applications open.

Selected participants will be notified in June. Families not selected will be placed on a waitlist and contacted if space becomes available.

Design and construction of the facility are being managed in house by DCAS, with a target opening date this fall. The program will be operated by a contracted child care provider, to be announced later this spring.

As part of the City's commitment to universal child care, and with funding from Governor Kathy Hochul, New York City will launch an initial 2,000 2-K seats this fall. Earlier this month, Mayor Mamdani announced more than 1,000 new 3-K seats in high-demand neighborhoods and launched 2,000 free 2-K seats across four communities.

The City will continue expanding 3-K capacity for fall 2026 through additional partnerships with community-based and home-based providers.

David N. Dinkins Building

1 Centre St

Lower Manhattan

March 30, 2026