New York Mayor Mamdani announced on January 14 (Wednesday) that the application for the 3-K and Pre-K educational programs for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds is now open until February 27 this year. Families with children turning 3 or 4 this year are eligible to apply. The mayor stated that those who complete the application within the deadline will receive the school assignment results.
Mayor Mamdani and New York City Education Director Samuel attended an event at an early education center in Brooklyn on the day the applications were launched, marking the official start of a new round of applications.
According to the city government, parents can apply online through the Department of Education platform MySchools, call the Department of Education hotline at 718-935-2009, or visit one of the 13 “Family Welcome Centers” located in the five boroughs for assistance. The online system offers versions in 13 languages, while phone and on-site services support real-time translation in over 200 languages.
To increase application participation, the city government has also launched promotional activities, including airing informational videos on multilingual public information systems like LinkNYC to explain the application schedule and channels to parents. Officials stated that this move aims to expand the reach of the policy, increase application rates, especially in communities with limited access to information.
The Department of Education pointed out that the 3-K and Pre-K programs do not operate on a first-come, first-served basis, and parents can submit applications at any time before the deadline. The Family Welcome Centers’ service hours are Monday to Thursday from 8 am to 5 pm, and Friday from 8 am to 3 pm; phone consultation services are available on weekdays from 8 am to 6 pm.
This application cycle coincides with the city government’s efforts to promote larger-scale reforms in early childhood care. Recently, Mayor Mamdani and Governor Hochu jointly announced the launch of the “2-Care Free Childcare Plan” as one of the long-term policies to expand childcare services. According to the plan, the first year of the program will focus on high-demand areas and expand citywide by the fourth year.
City officials stated that they will collaborate with the state government in the future to review and adjust the current 3-K system operation to enhance service stability and coverage, ensuring that early childhood education policies gradually achieve the goal of universal access.