Education Quiet since Sep 11 Updated Sep 11, 2026
The 2-K childcare rollout
Mayor Mamdani's free 2-K program for 2-year-olds, funded by a $1.2 billion state commitment with Gov. Hochul announced in January 2026, is set to send its first 2,000 seat offers to families on Aug. 4. Deputy Chancellor Simone Hawkins, who built the program and the city's early-childhood division since 2024, announced she is stepping down in September without a named successor, raising questions about the rollout's continuity just as it launches.
The story so far
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Sep 10, 2026 Latest
New York City's free 2-K program opened for roughly 2,000 two-year-olds in every borough except Staten Island, running 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. year-round, even as some 3-K and pre-K providers said they were still waiting to be paid. Gov. Hochul has committed $425 million toward the program in next year's state budget, up from $73 million this year, with 12,000 2-K seats planned for next fall.
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Sep 9, 2026
Mayor Mamdani named a new early childhood education head as the city works through 2-K contract delays and pay parity issues, Chalkbeat reported, filling the post Simone Hawkins is vacating.
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Aug 5, 2026
More than 5,700 families applied for New York City's first 2,000 free 2-K seats, nearly three applicants per spot, Mayor Mamdani and Gov. Hochul said. A new study estimated full universal childcare would cost $8.7 billion to $9.3 billion a year, well above Mamdani's own $6 billion figure.
Gothamist 
Politics | Spectrum News NY1 -
Aug 3, 2026
NYC Public Schools Deputy Chancellor Simone Hawkins announced she is stepping down in September, days before the city's first 2,000 free 2-K offers go out to families on Aug. 4; city officials did not name a successor or say why she is leaving.
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