| Photo by Jason Sung on Unsplash
NEW YORK — New York City has opened applications for “The Little Apple,” the city’s first free, full‑day, full‑year child care pilot program for municipal workers, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced Wednesday. The program will launch this fall following a $10 million renovation of a new 4,000‑square‑foot facility inside the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building.
The pilot will serve about 40 children, ages 6 weeks to 3 years, offering care Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
A Major New Benefit for City Workers
Mayor Mamdani said the program reflects a long‑overdue investment in the city’s public workforce. “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,” he said.
He added that the center aims to model “City government at its best, where a strong start for New York’s Cutest is a guarantee and not a luxury.”
Eligibility includes all full‑time DCAS employees and all full‑time city employees assigned to 1 Centre Street, regardless of agency. Applications are open through May 15, 2026, with selections made by random lottery and notifications expected in June.
Imagine Early Learning to Operate the Center
The city selected Imagine Early Learning Centers, a 100% employee‑owned provider with more than two decades of experience, to run the program.
“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 CEO Laura Tulchin. She emphasized that a strong program “will benefit all of New York’s families, children and workers.”
DCAS Commissioner Yume Kitasei called the opening of applications “a monumental step forward” in transforming child care to meet the needs of a modern workforce.
Fil-Am Municipal Workers See a Welcome Support
The announcement resonates strongly with Filipino American municipal workers, many of whom serve in frontline, administrative, and essential roles across city agencies. Filipino Americans make up one of the most active immigrant workforces in New York’s public sector — from nurses and caseworkers to engineers, analysts, and clerical staff.
For Fil-Am families, who often balance multigenerational caregiving and long commutes from Queens, Staten Island, and New Jersey, the availability of free, on‑site child care in Lower Manhattan represents both economic relief and a stabilizing support.
Community advocates note that child care costs in the region can exceed $20,000 annually, a figure the city itself cites as the financial burden the program aims to ease.
While the program is open to all eligible workers, Fil-Am civic groups say the pilot could especially benefit young Filipino American families entering civil service. This demographic has grown steadily in the last decade.
Part of a Larger Universal Child Care Strategy
The Little Apple pilot builds on the administration’s broader push toward universal child care, including the launch of full‑day, full‑year 2‑K for two‑year‑olds and the expansion of 3-K seats to more than 1,000 across 56 ZIP codes.
City Comptroller Mark Levine called the pilot “a huge first step” that will ensure parents “won’t have to choose between devoting their career to civil service and saving on child care expenses.”
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman‑Sigal praised the program as “a real step forward” in advancing free child care policies citywide.
Applications Now Open
Families may apply online through May 15. Those not selected will be placed on a waitlist. The center is expected to open this fall.
