New York, New York - New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani took his first steps towards introducing universal childcare from six weeks to five years old by announcing the first communities to receive free 2-K seats.

Alongside Governor Kathy Hochul, Mamdani on Tuesday announced that school districts six, 10, 18, 23, and 27 will be the first communities to receive free 2-K childcare seats this fall.

"The program will provide free child care for two-year-olds in New York City to any family who needs it, regardless of zip code, income, or immigration status," the mayor's office said in a statement.

Hochul has supported the effort with a commitment to provide more than $1.2 billion in support for early childhood care and education in NYC.

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The announcement came along with a $73 million funding commitment from New York's state government.

By fall 2027, Mamdani's office said, the 2-K scheme aims to have provided approximately 12,000 children across all five of the city's boroughs with free care.

"Raising a child takes a village – and it takes a city government willing to step up and tackle the child care crisis head-on," Mamdani said in a statement.

"Launching free 2-K in these four neighborhoods is just the beginning of our work to put money back in New Yorkers' pockets, strengthen our entire economy, and help more families build their lives here."

The funding will not come from tax increases, as Mamdani originally suggested, but instead from the state government, but Hochul hasn't settled on a funding plan post-2027.

"Raising a family in New York shouldn't feel like a luxury, and today we're taking another significant step to deliver universal child care," Hochul said.

"This is how we make New York the best place to start a family and build a future – and we're just getting started."