July 10, 2025
Video available at: https://youtu.be/k5GqX9hmfRg
Mayor Adams Announces $70 Million in Funding to Support Pre-K Special Education Students, Finally Delivering Universal Pre-K for All Students
$10 Million in Funding for Childcare Pilot Part of Fiscal Year 2026 Adopted Budget, Building On “Best Budget Ever”
Builds on Adams Administration’s Historic, Permanent Funding for 3-K Citywide Expansion and Special Education 3-K
Investments Continue Adams Administration’s Commitment to Making New York City Best Place to Raise a Family
New York – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced an additional $80 million in funding to support New York City families and expand access to childcare and early childhood education, putting New York City on the path to universal childcare for low-income families if a pilot is successful. Part of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Adopted Budget, and building on the FY 2026 Executive Budget – often called the “Best Budget Ever” – Mayor Adams announced $70 million in funding to support pre-K special education students who require occupational therapy, speech therapy, or other related services, as well as $10 million in funding for a childcare pilot program for 0-2 year-olds that will serve low-income families across New York City. The pilot program – a first for a major city in the U.S. to offer – will be administered by New York City Public Schools and seeks to expand access to infant and toddler care in a targeted way, building on the foundation of its already existing early childhood programming.
“For years, the cost of living has driven many New Yorkers out of the five boroughs, but our administration has been taking action because we understand the best way to make the American Dream a reality for New Yorkers is by making our city more affordable for working-class families,” said Mayor Adams. “For too long, working families have struggled with the cost of childcare, which is why we’re proud to build on the historic investments we’ve made. With this $80 million in funding, part of our ‘Best Budget Ever,’ we’re making universal pre-K truly universal to serve students with special needs, and we’re launching a historic pilot to provide childcare to 0–2 year-olds that, if successful, could put New York on the path to becoming the first major U.S. city to provide free universal childcare to low-income residents. This is all part of the budget that my mom and family needed growing up, and as mayor, I’m proud to deliver it to working-class families across the five boroughs.”
“New York City Public Schools is incredibly grateful to the Adams administration for their continued commitment to supporting our early childhood education programming,” said New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos. “We are not only listening to what our families and communities need – but we’re delivering it to them, too. It is our mission to provide high-quality and equitable educational opportunities for all students, starting from their earliest years, and we are building upon the strong foundation of early childhood programming we’ve already established.”
Under this adopted budget, New York City Public Schools will be able to reduce meeting wait times for parents of the nearly 1,200 children with special education needs in integrated classes and evaluate close to 1,800 more students annually for special education classes – doubling the amount of Preschool Regional Assessment Center teams. A total of $50 million of the $70 million allocated for pre-K special education seats will expand access to related services, such as speech or occupational and physical therapy for preschool students. An additional $10 million will support increasing the number of administrators to reduce caseloads and adding more community coordinators to better support families. Finally, $10 million will help increase New York City Public Schools’ internal capacity to conduct initial preschool special education evaluations, reducing the burden on families to locate private providers.
Additionally, beginning this month, New York City Public Schools – in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Early Childhood Education – will begin outreach to childcare providers to gauge interest and capacity to care and expand learning opportunities for 0-2 year-olds as part of their existing work in the communities that need it most. The city will also undertake an analysis to understand demand among low-income communities before beginning an enrollment effort for the pilot program. The city expects that the childcare pilot for 0-2 year-olds to begin in January 2026. These efforts combined will move the city closer to a truly inclusive early childhood system that begins at birth and supports every learner.
These investments all build on the Adams administration’s historic investments in early childhood education and universal childcare. Mayor Adams’ Best Budget Ever included investments totaling $167 million to support young children and their families that strengthened funding to preserve and protect critical early childhood education programing benefiting the most vulnerable children across the five boroughs. These investments committed – for the first time – to annual funding for a citywide 3-K expansion and for the pre-K students with disabilities program to ensure continuity.
Over the FY 2025 budget cycle, Mayor Adams protected more than $600 million in key, long-term education programs that had been previously funded with expiring stimulus dollars by making investments in Summer Rising, a citywide 3-K expansion, special education pre-K, community schools, social workers, and arts education. This investment also included one-time funding of $92 million to support a citywide 3-K expansion. Additionally, the Adams administration invested $20 million to ensure that every student on a 3-K waitlist was offered a seat if they applied on time, and $55 million to provide more than 700 new seats for three- and four-year-olds with special needs.
A thriving early childhood education system is crucial to making New York City more affordable, particularly for women and families. The Adams administration’s child care and early childhood blueprint found that almost 375,000 parents left or downshifted their jobs because of COVID-19 and a lack of access to quality child care. For mothers, the decision to leave the workforce to care for a child can cost up to $145,000 in foregone earnings across their lifetimes; that is why the Adams administration has prioritized developing an early childhood program that works for the long-term and has seen results in terms of access and affordability.
Under Mayor Adams’ leadership, the city has also made significant investments and enacted policies to support working-class families and put money back into the pockets of working-class New Yorkers by reducing the per child co-payment or out-of-pocket cost of subsidized child care for a family earning $55,000 a year from $55 a week in 2022 to just $4.80 a week today – more than 10 times less. The city has also reduced the co-payments all families pay for subsidized care, bringing the average co-payment per child to less than $220 per year, down from $1,500 annually in 2022.
“This investment is a game-changer for working families across New York City,” said New York State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud, chair, Committee on Social Services. “By expanding access to early childhood education and supporting children with special needs, we’re laying the foundation for a stronger, more equitable future. I’m especially proud to see the city leading the way with a pilot program for infants and toddlers, which is a bold and necessary step to ensure every child gets the best possible start in life. I commend the Adams administration for their strong commitment to supporting New York City’s children and families.”
“I applaud Mayor Adams for continuing to build on the city’s investment in pre-K and special education services,” said New York State Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn. “This vital $80 million commitment to early childhood education directly uplifts our city’s low-income and immigrant families. The $70 million allocated for universal pre-K access for special education students, along with the $10 million childcare pilot program, will make a meaningful difference in the lives of countless families across our city. By expanding universal pre-K to include special education students and launching a pilot program for our youngest learners, this administration is breaking down longstanding barriers to opportunity. These initiatives reflect a deep and ongoing commitment to equity, inclusion, and the future of our children – ensuring that working families, especially in underserved communities, have the support they need to thrive.”
“We are pleased that the city budget includes critical investments in early childhood education, including increased funding for preschool special education,” said Kim Sweet, executive director, Advocates for Children of New York. “Throughout the past year, we heard repeatedly from families of young children with disabilities who were distraught that their children were not receiving the legally mandated services they need to learn. We appreciate the addition of $70 million for preschool special education – funding that is urgently needed to provide services like speech therapy and counseling. We thank Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council, particularly Speaker Adrienne Adams and Education Committee Chair Rita Joseph, for responding to this need. If we want young families to stay in New York City, we have to stop making them fight for the special education services their children are entitled to receive. We look forward to holding the city accountable for ensuring that every preschooler with a disability gets the evaluations, services, and placements they need–and that 3-K and pre-K are truly for all.”
“For more than a century, UNH has fought to ensure all children in New York City have access to high-quality early childhood education,” said Susan Stamler, executive director, United Neighborhood Houses (UNH). “In recent years, we have made major advances, with the city first committing to universal pre-K for four-year-olds and then 3-K for three-year-olds. The recent agreement for $10 million to expand free programming to serve 0 to two-year-olds is a critical first step towards meeting the needs of all New York City families, and we look forward to working with our partners in government to scale up to full universal child care in the coming years.”
“At a time when so many critical programs are facing cuts at the national level, this budget takes real steps to support New York City families,” said Matthew Klein, chief program and impact officer, Robin Hood. “It preserves child care availability and affordability for tens of thousands of families with young children, initiates a pilot for universal child care coverage, invests in CUNY students, including through programs proven to increase degree attainment, like ASAP and ACE, and supports a range of critical services for many of New York City’s most vulnerable residents. Robin Hood is encouraged to see these targeted and meaningful investments that will bolster our city’s ability to be a real engine of economic mobility for everyone.”
“The staff and leadership of Day Care Council of New York’s member organizations work tirelessly to meet the needs of families in their communities,” said Tara N. Gardner, executive director, Day Care Council of New York (DCCNY). “Specifically, DCCNY members have identified a critical need for expanded services for young children with special needs. Preschool Special Education services are essential because they help identify and address developmental challenges when they can have the greatest impact. Our members have also consistently heard families’ urgent need for more infant and toddler care options for children under two years old. The investments announced today will provide community-based early childhood education providers with the resources they need to deliver these vital services to our communities.”
“As New York families continue to struggle with the lack of access to affordable and high-quality child care, we are encouraged by the city’s $10 million investment to create new infant and toddler slots for children under age two,” said Arlen Benjamin-Gomez, executive director, Education Trust-New York. “High-quality child care is foundational to a thriving city–it supports children’s healthy development during the most critical years, enables parents to pursue work and education, and sustains a child care workforce largely made up of women of color. Families–especially those of color and those with low incomes–are being pushed out of the city by rising child care and housing costs. Addressing the child care crisis is essential to the city’s long-term success and health. This investment is a promising step forward to support families and the youngest children, and we look forward to partnering with the city to ensure it reaches families with the greatest need.”
“We commend the Adams administration for prioritizing early care and education in this year’s budget,” said Raysa S. Rodriguez, executive director, Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York. “These investments will help protect 3-K and pre-K, secure urgently needed resources for preschoolers with disabilities, and create new opportunities to support families with infants and toddlers in high-need communities. At a time when working families are being pushed out of the city by rising costs, disappearing federal supports, and climbing child care costs, these early childhood investments are more important than ever. With more than 80 percent of families in New York City unable to afford child care, there is undoubtedly more work to do to achieve a truly universal system that meets the needs of all families. We look forward to partnering with the administration and partners to keep advancing that vision.”