New York City is initiating a significant overhaul of its universal pre-kindergarten and preschool programs, which have long struggled with extensive waitlists and a shortage of seats in underserved communities, city officials revealed on Thursday. However, early childhood education advocates have criticized the new plan as lacking specifics and offering nothing new.
The 10-point plan, developed by a working group that includes top officials from Mayor Eric Adams’ administration and City Council leadership, aims to revamp the universal pre-K and 3-K programs. The plan, which outlines several previously announced steps, focuses on improving outreach and better distributing available seats across the five boroughs. The announcement comes just days before the start of the new school year.
“We are announcing a $100 million investment in a historic plan to fix lingering problems and improve our system,” Adams said during a Brooklyn news conference on Aug. 29. “This is a reimagining of the entire early childhood education system from the ground up.”
The working group was established as part of the Fiscal Year 2025 budget agreement, which included $100 million to fund the plan. This move follows growing criticism that the Adams administration has not done enough to address the difficulties faced by families in lower-income areas in securing pre-K and 3-K seats. Adams has also been criticized for making significant cuts to the programs’ planned expansions in recent years.
Key elements of the plan include previously announced initiatives such as a $5 million investment to enhance outreach in underserved areas, reducing the waitlist for special education early childhood slots by adding 450 new seats this fall, and providing free extended hours to nearly 2,000 families enrolled in the programs.
The Department of Education, the Mayor’s Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education, and the City Council will be responsible for implementing these initiatives.
“We’re going to hit the streets, meet people where they are, and take them where they ought to be, and not expect them to do it alone,” Adams said, emphasizing the importance of the outreach effort. “This is essential to ensure that all families are aware of the early childhood education opportunities and how to apply.”
However, Rebecca Bailin, executive director of New Yorkers United for Child Care, criticized the mayor for not providing more details on the plan’s key components.
“They’re saying they’re doing outreach, but nobody has seen it,” Bailin said in an interview with amNewYork Metro. “The other thing that’s really concerning is that he’s saying there are full-day, full-year seats, but no details. When are we going to find out where those seats are? The first day of school is right around the corner.”
The mayor also stated that all 2,400 families who applied for 3-K slots on time but did not receive one in the spring have now been offered a seat. Additionally, the city has added 1,500 3-K seats in “high-demand” areas since the budget was passed.
“We upheld our commitment to make sure that every single child who wants a seat has access to a seat,” Adams said.
But Bailin disputed this claim, saying her organization has heard from many parents who still face challenges.
“They’re saying parents have gotten seats,” Bailin said. “Meanwhile, we are still hearing from parents who have either not gotten a seat yet, were offered seats that weren’t even in their top 12 choices, seats that are too far away, or seats they found out about too late after already putting down thousands of dollars in deposits for private programs.”