Right now, parents of two-year-olds in New York City are facing an impossible reality: the average cost of child care for a two-year-old is $23,000 a year. To afford care at the recommended 7% of household income, a family would have to earn $334,000 annually. Simply put, the numbers don’t add up for a majority of New Yorkers. This is why we are fighting for 2-Care: an expansion of New York City’s popular and successful Pre-K for All and 3-K programs to include two-year-olds
Admittedly, challenges remain in the 3-K system, stemming from annual cuts and lack of prioritization from the Adams administration. Last year, many parents received 3-K seats that were too far away from their home or had already paid thousands of dollars in deposits for private care by the time they were called off the waitlist. On top of this, early childhood educators are underpaid and that has led to recruitment and retention challenges for these key roles. Given all this, some may ask: why push for child care for two-year-olds when 3-K isn’t in perfect shape? The answer is simple—New York’s families can’t afford to wait. Our fight isn’t about choosing between fixing what exists and expanding to more families; it’s about doing both.
New York’s child care crisis is not new, but it is getting worse. Parents of two-year-olds have reached a breaking point–forced to choose between paying for child care they cannot afford or leaving the workforce entirely. The high costs are causing ripple effects across the economy. In 2022, New York City lost $23 billion in economic activity due to the lack of affordable child care, and increasingly families are taking a third path: leaving New York City entirely. Parents with children under six are twice as likely to leave the city compared to other residents.
It’s time to demand what we deserve. The solution is clear: New York City must commit to making 2-Care a reality. That means expanding free child care to all two-year-olds just as we did for Pre-K and 3-K. We can start by converting existing, licensed capacity that serves two-year-olds through a fee-for-service, instantly setting up free, City-funded 2-Care programs across the city while beginning to build out new capacity as well. In the meantime, we can fix the flaws in our current childcare system for three-year-olds and avoid setting two-year-old care up for the same challenges by ensuring permanent and stable funding for full-day programs. We can make sure parents are aware of the options available to them by reinstating crucial outreach efforts. In order to ensure that we recruit and retain the best workers, we can support child care providers with fair wages and funding to ensure a strong, stable workforce.
Waiting to fix every issue in 3-K before expanding access to child care would be a mistake. History has shown us that the best way to build strong public systems is through continued investment and expansion—not by waiting until every single piece is perfect. We fought for universal Pre-K and 3-K while stabilizing existing child care programs. Now, we must do the same for 2-Care.
We cannot afford to wait. Parents need child care now. New York’s future depends on it.
