{"id":7652,"date":"2026-08-28T23:07:49","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T23:07:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=7652"},"modified":"2026-08-28T23:07:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T23:07:49","slug":"mamdanis-free-childcare-expansion-still-isnt-funded-and-providers-are-scrambling-to-open-schools-many-trusted-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=7652","title":{"rendered":"Mamdani’s free childcare expansion still isn’t funded \u2014 and providers are scrambling to open schools: ‘Many trusted him’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Zo careless.<\/p>\n

Frustrated providers tasked with delivering Mayor Zohran Mamdani\u2019s promise of universal childcare \u2014 including a new, free 2-K program \u2014 complained the city is stiffing them out of six-figure payments, forcing them to dig into their own pockets just two weeks before the start of the school year.<\/p>\n

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Scores of childcare center operators contracted by the city for 2-K, 3-K and pre-K programs griped that advance payments usually sent in August haven\u2019t arrived, leaving them scrambling to cover supplies, staffing and other basics in order to open in time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we do open up on the first day of school, I won\u2019t have staff,\u201d said Adrienne Bond, director of the Quick Start Daycare Center in Queens, adding she was waiting on roughly $400,000 from the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cMamdani promised positive change in early childhood education, and many trusted him by electing him to office, so when is that coming? We are anxiously waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bond said she spent $400 of her personal funds, plus maxed out $35,000 from a private after-school program, to cover expenses. <\/p>\n

She still had to delay two paychecks for staff and, as outstanding food supplier bills loom, was anxiously awaiting an interest-free bridge loan that so far has been held up by a city Department of Education backlog.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m pleading with them for the bridge loan,\u201d she told The Post.<\/p>\n

The delays not only threaten the debut of Mamdani\u2019s 2-K pilot program, but also the ability of free childcare centers to open when school begins September 10.<\/p>\n

Hizzoner made free universal childcare one of his key promises when running for mayor in 2025. With the backing of Gov. Kathy Hochul, he unveiled a \u201c2-Care\u201d pilot for 2-year-olds that aims to expand citywide in the next four years \u2014 along with building up existing pre-K and 3-K programs.<\/p>\n

The pair touted the initiatives \u2014 which came with $1.2 billion in state funding \u2014 during a joint press conference earlier this month. <\/p>\n

The push heavily relies on existing childcare providers, many of which have contracted with the city for years and rely on advance payments to get programs up-and-running every fall.<\/p>\n

Growing panic and hardships from the funding holdup were first reported by City & State on Tuesday, with it and The New York Times detailing providers considering fronting $90,000, taking reverse mortgages on their homes to pay expenses and asking employees to apply for unemployment.<\/p>\n

Five city childcare providers who spoke to The Post this week, including Bond, detailed similar delays and frustrations.<\/p>\n

One Queens childcare owner, who asked to stay anonymous, said she received a new 2-K class but the city won\u2019t be sending her money to operate it until November. <\/p>\n

The owner said she only got less than half of the five-figure sum she requested for a loan.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m done \u2014 somebody needs to shine a light on what\u2019s going on in this place because it\u2019s an absolute disaster,\u201d she said. \u201cI have gone into my personal bank accounts, went into my 401(k), and I\u2019m not doing it again.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Play Group Experience in Staten Island was still waiting on a $160,000 advance, said director Lori Congolese, adding that she spent $800 out of her personal bank account to prepare for September\u2019s opening.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe received zero funding that we usually receive in August to get us through to open,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

\u201cOne of my colleagues, she just had to foot $1,800 out of her own pocket to do some repairs and fix the toilet just to prepare for September, and this money should\u2019ve been coming from the DOE.\u201d<\/p>\n

Without a $300,000 advance payment from the city for 3-K and pre-K programs, Let\u2019s Play & Learn Park director Olena Olson said she was relying on a $60,000 line of credit, payments from private 2-K tuition and foregoing her own salary to pay for staff and building costs.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI will be OK for September if it takes that long,\u201d the Park Slope childcare provider said. \u201cBut come October, if I don\u2019t have either the loan or the advanced payment, then I don\u2019t even want to think about it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Difficulties obtaining interest-free bridge loans from the DOE compounded the headaches for many providers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s such a Catch-22,\u201d Bond said. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever the amount is on the bridge loan, when you get your advancement, they\u2019re going to take it back from you.\u00a0It\u2019s always as if you\u2019re penny-pinching because they\u2019re always taking back what they appear to give you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The brewing blunder has bureaucrats were keen to pass the buck.<\/p>\n

DOE paper pushers blamed bean counters in the city comptroller\u2019s office for allegedly not registering contracts, a box-ticking step that must be done to process payments, the Times first reported.<\/p>\n

Comptroller\u2019s officials fired back that the DOE hadn\u2019t even shared the contracts yet. The office hasn\u2019t received any 2-K contracts as of Friday, officials said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe start of the school year is not an unexpected event,\u201d City Comptroller Mark Levine said in a statement. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe city knew these contracts needed to be approved by now, and failing to get them done on time risks setting back our affordability agenda,\u201d Levine said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are small providers with little financial cushion. Forcing them to begin caring for children without contracts or payment puts enormous strain on these organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n

One DOE insider complained that City Hall was dropping the ball on universal childcare \u2014 a goal \u201ctoo important to fail.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNew York City cannot build universal childcare on the backs and bank accounts of the people already holding the system together,\u201d the source said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe administration continues to make ambitious promises about expanding 2-K, 3-K and pre-K. But universal child care cannot be built through press conferences and promises alone,\u201d the insider added. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt requires a government with the capacity, staffing and resources to deliver and right now, City Hall is demonstrating that it is in over its head.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mamdani was pressed earlier this week on the issues providers have been grappling with \u2014 including those concerned they won\u2019t be able to open next month \u2014 but he could only repeat that \u201cwe have made this very clear that this is a top priority internally.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Mamdani\u2019s spokeswoman Jenna Lyle admitted the delays were \u201cunacceptable\u201d \u2014 but blamed former Mayor Eric Adams\u2019 administration for cutting 600 employees tasked with establishing the city\u2019s childcare system.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not clear why the new admin didn\u2019t address any staffing issues before rolling out the universal childcare expansion.<\/p>\n

City Hall officials said the city has authorized overtime to complete loan payments by the first day of school, and that providers could expect approvals within five business days.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are expediting the processing and disbursement of loans for providers,\u201d Lyle said. \u201cAnd we are pulling additional staff from across city government, including every available contracting staffer at New York City Public Schools, to finalize outstanding contracts and quickly get them to the comptroller for payment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more WNBA legend says Enes Kanter should be banned by the league<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Additional reporting by Craig McCarthy<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Strapped providers have dipped into personal accounts to open by Sept. 10 as they await six-figure payments from the city.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7651,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-metro"],"yoast_head":"\nMamdani's free childcare expansion still isn't funded \u2014 and providers are scrambling to open schools: 'Many trusted him' - Metro Transit Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=7652\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mamdani's free childcare expansion still isn't funded \u2014 and providers are scrambling to open schools: 'Many trusted him' - 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