Council subcommittee opens oversight on path to universal child care; administration lays out 2K pilot and interagency plan

The New York City Council’s newly formed Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education convened its first hearing to press city officials for a timeline and details on the administration’s plan to expand free child care and move toward universal coverage.

Speaker Julie Menon opened the session and framed the issue as an urgent economic and social priority, saying universal child care is needed to restore workforce participation lost when parents — mostly mothers — cannot afford care. "We truly cannot afford to wait any longer," Menon said, noting prior Council legislation in 2022 and that she is sponsoring bills to help expand space and streamline permitting.

Emmy Liss, executive director of the mayor’s Office of Childcare and Early Childhood Education, told the subcommittee the administration’s vision is "a system in which every family has access to free, high quality, culturally responsive care and education for all children under 5," and said her office will serve as a central coordinator across more than a dozen agencies. Liss said the governor and mayor committed more than $1.2 billion in state funding to put the city on a path to universal child care and described a first‑year 2K rollout that would serve about 2,000 two‑year‑olds in fall 2026 and expand toward 12,000 the following year.

Deputy Chancellor Simone Hawkins of New York City Public Schools described the DOE’s operational role, saying the department will lead day‑to‑day implementation, provider contracting and enrollment work for the 2K expansion. Hawkins summarized current program capacity and said DOE is focused on readiness among providers, systems for enrollment and supports for children who need special education or early intervention services.

Council members used the hearing to press for detailed data and firm timelines. Members asked for the number of permitting applications pending with DOHMH, DOB and FDNY, the results of the RFI that closed last week, and whether state funds will clear the ACS voucher waitlist. The administration said the governor’s budget includes $470 million for the Child Care Assistance Program but does not yet expect to clear the ACS waitlist and will continue to coordinate with Albany.

Providers and advocates who testified warned that expansion will not succeed unless the city stabilizes the existing system. Speakers from community‑based providers, family childcare networks and advocacy groups urged the council and administration to address delayed reimbursements, contract terms that tie revenue too closely to fluctuating enrollment, and the persistent pay gap between DOE staff and educators at contracted community providers — an inequity witnesses said drives staff turnover and imperils the capacity to expand.

On special education, DOE witnesses said there are roughly 12,000 preschool special education seats citywide and that CPSC teams place students year‑round, but council members and advocates pressed for faster transitions from early intervention and clearer reporting on unmet needs.

What’s next: Council members asked the administration to return with specific data (RFI responses, permitting backlog counts, voucher waitlist details and DOE seat‑utilization figures) and requested monthly briefings as implementation moves forward. The subcommittee did not take any votes; its oversight will continue as the city refines the rollout.