"People are choosing Westchester - not just to visit, but to live, build families, and invest in their future. When we create housing opportunities and vibrant neighborhoods, people come - and they stay."
"I think this is a worthwhile investment in the future so that we are protecting the workforce and people can live with the dignity they deserve" when they retire, said state Sen. Jessica Ramos, a Queens Democrat.
The Sesame Workshop resources want the same for everyone. They are meant to help facilitate safe, inclusive group settings by giving children (and adults!) tips and engagement ideas for reaching out to someone, inviting others into your play, and offering encouragement to a kiddo who might feel a little uncertain or left out.
Mamdani stated that the City Council's budget strategy effectively ensures this structural deficit will continue indefinitely, impacting vital city services and failing to solve deep financial problems.
Not long ago, Vermont had a population problem. Then Act 76 ushered in affordable child care for the first time in the state's history. Vermont had a problem. Child care was too expensive. We would be paying $3,500 a month, more than twice our mortgage. Some parents were giving up their careers to stay home After daycare, you come home with maybe $60 extra a week. It's just not even worth it at that point.
In January, Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced an ambitious plan to bring free child care to 2-year-olds across the five boroughs. On Tuesday, they announced a "monumental moment of progress" in that endeavor: The first four communities that will receive 2-K seats this fall.
The initiative is part of the NYC Bright Starts program, and it was pitched to reinforce New York City Public Schools' existing infant and toddler programs through the federal Head Start program, which offers a variety of services to support school-readiness for children from birth to age 5 for low-income families. Last year, the Trump administration attempted to bar undocumented immigrant children from enrolling in Head Start programs, but a federal judge's injunction put the effort on hold nationwide in September.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Thursday the first step toward a new citywide child care program for two-year-olds opening a request for information to recruit providers for both the existing 3K system and a new 2K program. The announcement took place at City Hall's Blue Room, where the mayor and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels were flanked by a group of District 2 pre-K students who had been invited to participate.
