Mayor Mamdani Opens Applications for “The Little Apple,” New York City's First Free Child Care Pilot Program for Municipal Workers

City selects 100% employee-owned provider Imagine Early Learning Centers to administer full-day, full-year child care program for children ages 6 weeks to 3 years  

  

Program will kick off this fall following the completion of $10 million renovation of 4,000-square-foot facility   

New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Yume Kitasei today announced that applications are now open for “The Little Apple,” the City’s first free, full-day, full-year, on-site child care pilot program for City workers.   

  

Mayor Mamdani and Commissioner Kitasei also announced Imagine Early Learning Centers as the program’s operator. Imagine Early Learning Centers has more than two decades of experience in early childhood education, is 100% employee-owned and currently serves more than 600 children across 12 child care centers in the New York metropolitan area.  

  

The Little Apple’s pilot location will serve approximately 40 children ages 6 weeks to 3 years and operate out of the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building. Last month, Mayor Mamdani expanded the child care program eligibility to include all City workers based at the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building at 1 Centre Street in addition to all DCAS employees regardless of work location. The Municipal Building, one of the largest government office buildings in the world, houses more than 2,000 employees across a dozen municipal agencies.  

  

The program will operate on the ground floor of the building’s North Tower and provide year-round care Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The $10 million renovation is underway to construct a 4,000-square-foot child care facility, with completion expected this fall.  

  

“The dedicated public servants who keep this city running deserve high-quality, free child care that meets the needs of their busy schedules — that is exactly what ‘The Little Apple’ will do,” said Mayor Mamdani. “We hope this center will serve as a model for City government at its best, where a strong start for New York’s Cutest is a guarantee and not a luxury. We’re calling on all DCAS and 1 Centre employees to apply today — kids from 6 weeks to 3 years are eligible!”   

  

“With the launch of the application period and selection of the vendor to operate The Little Apple, we are taking monumental steps forward and transforming what child care looks like in a modern workforce,” said DCAS Commissioner Yume Kitasei. “We’re excited to work with Imagine Early Learning Centers to open the doors to the city’s first The Little Apple site this fall.”  

  

“Imagine is honored to be partnering with DCAS and the Mamdani administration to bring our best-in-class early childhood care and education to New York City employees at no cost,” said Laura Tulchin, CEO of Imagine Early Learning Center. “As the country's only 100% employee-owned child care company, we know that a strong child care program like this will benefit all of New York’s families, children and workers. We believe deeply in this program and are proud to be a part of such an important step for our city.”  

  

APPLICATION AND ELIGIBILITY DETAILS  

Applications for eligible families are open online now through May 15, 2026.  

  

To be eligible, employees must:  

•   Be a full-time DCAS employee regardless of work location or a full-time City employee who is assigned to 1 Centre Street.  

•   Be a parent or legal guardian of a child between the ages of 6 weeks (as of Sept. 1, 2026) and 3 years old (as of Dec. 31, 2026).   

  

One application may be submitted per family and may include multiple children per application. Families will be chosen using a random selection process, with a limited number of seats reserved for applicants seeking five-day/week enrollment. Selected participants will be notified in June. Families not selected will be placed on a waitlist and contacted if space becomes available.  

  

Full eligibility details and application portal are available online.  

  

By expanding access to free, on-site child care, the City is putting upwards of $20,000 a year back in the pockets of working families. The program is also expected to improve the retention of top talent, boost productivity and strengthen job satisfaction among working parents.  

  

Today’s announcement builds on the Mamdani Administration’s commitment to delivering universal child care to New York City families, supported by the State in partnership with Governor Kathy Hochul. Since Jan. 1, 2026, the City has announced the launch of full-day, full-year 2-K, the city’s first universal child care for 2-year-olds, set to launch with 2,000 initial seats this year, as well as an expansion of more than 1,000 3-K seats in 56 ZIP codes.