It’s a big day in New York, where Gov. Kathy Hochul and NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani just announced major investments in free and affordable child care across the city and state. I just got back to my desk after spending the morning at the YMCA in Flatbush, Brooklyn, where the duo teamed up to make the announcement.
It’s a huge political win for Mamdani, who is only on Day 8 of the job and promised universal child care throughout his campaign. New York City will for the first time launch “2-care,” which ages down existing child care programs to 2-year-olds. Paid for out of the state’s budget, it’ll be available in high-need areas first.
It’s also a major move by Hochul, who has been working on this issue since before Mamdani came on the scene. She highlighted that she’s already spent $8 billion on child care in New York. These new initiatives allocate an additional $1.7 billion for a total of $4.5 billion in the state’s 2027 budget.
I tagged along today with Reshma Saujani, the founder of the advocacy organization Moms First, who has been lobbying to expand access to child care—with a special focus on bringing the business community on board—and has worked with Hochul since 2023. She calls this news a “turning point for families across the state.” Outside New York City, child care access lags behind programs available in NYC, so Hochul’s statewide investments focus on expanding universal pre-K.
For both politicians, the joint effort sets a new tone. In a speech, Mamdani called out past “dysfunction” between New York City and state and emphasized his appreciation for Hochul’s partnership. The attitude is clearly paying off; without the support of the governor, it would be impossible for New York’s new mayor to fulfill a campaign promise so quickly. Child care was an issue where the pair found common ground during Mamdani’s campaign, before Hochul’s endorsement was a sure thing.
New York’s expansion of affordable child care follows a similar effort in New Mexico, which became the first state to offer universal child care in September—also under a female governor. I asked Hochul if she thinks New York’s efforts will have even more sway on whether child care ever becomes universal across the entire country. “Absolutely,” she said. “New Mexico is very important too, and I’m proud of what my friend Michelle Lujan Grisham has accomplished there.” Her message to other governors? “Make it happen. Just do it. Stop waiting.”
Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com
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