Applications open for 'Little Apple' free childcare program for kids of NYC municipal workers
The free program is for kids of municipal workers up to 3 years old
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Applications have opened for New York City's first free childcare program for kids of municipal workers up to 3 years old.
In an announcement made Thursday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the program, a pilot initiative called "The Little Apple," would provide full-day, year-round childcare for children ages 6 weeks to 3 years old, and was expected to launch this fall.
It would operate out of the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building in Lower Manhattan, where a $10 million renovation was underway to build a 4,000-square-foot childcare facility.
"The dedicated public servants who keep this city running deserve high-quality, free childcare that meets the needs of their busy schedules. That is exactly what 'The Little Apple' will do," Mamdani said.
City officials said the pilot site would serve about 40 children and would be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The program would be run by Imagine Early Learning Centers, a 100% employee-owned childcare provider with more than 20 years of experience and multiple locations across the New York metro area.
Those eligible to apply include full-time employees of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, regardless of work location, as well as other full-time city workers assigned to 1 Centre Street. Families must have a child who meets the program's age requirements: 6 weeks old as of Sept. 1, 2026, and 3 years old as of Dec. 31, 2026.
Applications will remain open through May 15. Selected families will be notified in June, while others will be placed on a waitlist.
City leaders said the program could save working families up to $20,000 a year in childcare costs, while also helping improve employee retention and job satisfaction.
Officials said the initiative was part of a broader push to expand access to childcare across the city, including the rollout of full-day, full-year 2-K and the expansion of 3-K seats.
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