New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed that the city’s push toward universal childcare will not limit eligibility based on immigration status, a policy choice that is already drawing political backlash.
The plan builds on the city’s free pre-K and 3-K programs and starts with a pilot offering no-cost childcare for children under age 2 in high-need neighborhoods. City officials say eligibility will be based on residency and a child’s age, not a parent’s citizenship.
Critics say it expands taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal immigrants and raises concerns about cost, capacity, and fairness.
City officials say the pilot will expand gradually, with funding and enrollment rules expected to remain a subject of debate as New York moves toward full universal childcare.
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