NYC universal childcare plan may cost $9 billion annually, study finds

A recent report from the Center for New York City Affairs indicates that Mayor Zohran Mamdani's universal childcare initiative will cost about $9 billion per year, about $3 billion higher than the $6 billion figure the mayor cited during his campaign. The study projects an average expense of $27,000 per child and highlights that roughly 23,000 new childcare workers, especially for infants and toddlers, will be required.

It also notes the city must add around 10,000 seats for children younger than pre-K. In the 2025 fiscal year, the city allocated $2.5 billion but spent $3.8 billion on existing services, underscoring a pattern of under-estimation. Governor Kathy Hochul has committed $1.2 billion to launch the program in select neighborhoods and plans further state support, though she says the funding will come from existing revenues rather than new taxes. City officials have not released an official cost model and declined to comment on the $9 billion estimate.