Yisroel R.

Thousands of New York City families who have spent months waiting for help covering the soaring cost of child care are finally set to receive relief, as Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration announced Monday that more than 10,000 children will be moved off the city’s child care assistance waitlist.

The move comes after the waitlist swelled to nearly 29,000 low-income children over the past year, leaving families who otherwise qualified for assistance without access to the heavily subsidized care. The Child Care Assistance Program provides vouchers for eligible children from six weeks through 13 years old, as well as children with special needs through age 19.

Over the coming weeks, the Administration for Children’s Services will begin inviting families on the waitlist to apply for vouchers, with invitations continuing on a rolling basis over the next several months. Eligible families will then be able to use the vouchers to cover child care at a provider of their choice, with priority given to families with lower incomes, those experiencing homelessness, and those with children who have special needs.

“For families struggling to make ends meet, and the providers who deliver them high-quality and consistent child care, access to vouchers is nothing short of transformational,” Mayor Mamdani said. “Today’s voucher expansion is a critical step in ensuring no family is left behind in our movement towards universal childcare.”

The expansion is being supported by funding from Governor Kathy Hochul, who committed $1.2 billion toward New York City child care initiatives, including $475 million specifically for child care vouchers. “Today’s historic free child care expansion will bring relief to thousands more families across New York City,” Governor Hochul said, adding that the state and city are working together toward universal child care.

The city has also updated its online child care map, allowing parents for the first time to search for licensed programs and filter the results to show providers that accept child care vouchers. The latest expansion follows a separate $5.2 million city investment eliminating out-of-pocket fees for families receiving the vouchers.