New York City has opened applications for “The Little Apple,” its first free, full-day, full-year child care pilot program for municipal employees. The pilot will serve young children at the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building in Lower Manhattan and is expected to begin this fall after a $10 million renovation.
The program is designed for eligible city workers with children from 6 weeks to 3 years old. Applications are open through May 15, 2026, with selected families expected to be notified in June.
What Is “The Little Apple”?
“The Little Apple” is a free on-site child care pilot program for New York City municipal employees. The first location will operate inside the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building at 1 Centre Street, serving approximately 40 children.
The child care center will be operated by Imagine Early Learning Centers, a 100% employee-owned provider with more than two decades of early childhood education experience.
Key Facts
- Program: The Little Apple
- Type: Free full-day, full-year child care pilot
- Location: David N. Dinkins Municipal Building, 1 Centre Street, Manhattan
- Age range: Children from 6 weeks to 3 years old
- Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Capacity: Approximately 40 children
- Application deadline: May 15, 2026
- Expected opening: Fall 2026
- Operator: Imagine Early Learning Centers
- Renovation cost: $10 million for a 4,000-square-foot facility
Who Is Eligible?
According to the city, eligible applicants must be either a full-time DCAS employee regardless of work location, or a full-time city employee assigned to 1 Centre Street. Applicants must also be the parent or legal guardian of a child who meets the program’s age requirements.
Families may submit one application per family and may include multiple children on the same application. If demand exceeds available seats, families will be selected through a random process, with some seats reserved for five-day-per-week enrollment.
Why It Matters
Child care remains one of the largest expenses facing working families in New York City. The city says the program could put upwards of $20,000 per year back into the pockets of participating families while helping city agencies retain workers, improve productivity and support working parents.
The pilot also fits into the Mamdani administration’s broader push toward expanded child care access, including full-day, full-year 2-K and additional 3-K seats across New York City.
Questions and Answers
What is The Little Apple?
The Little Apple is New York City’s first free, full-day, full-year on-site child care pilot program for municipal workers.
Where will the first Little Apple child care center be located?
The first pilot location will be at the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building at 1 Centre Street in Manhattan.
Who can apply?
Full-time DCAS employees and full-time city employees assigned to 1 Centre Street may apply if they are parents or legal guardians of eligible children.
What ages are eligible?
The program is for children between 6 weeks and 3 years old, based on the city’s stated date requirements.
When is the application deadline?
Applications are open through May 15, 2026.
When will the program open?
The city expects the program to open in fall 2026 after completion of the facility renovation.
Official source: This article is based on the New York City Mayor’s Office announcement. The original city release appears below.
Mayor Mamdani Opens Applications for “The Little Apple,” New York City’s First Free Child Care Pilot Program for Municipal Workers
– New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Yume Kitasei today announced that applications are now open for “The Little Apple,” the City’s first free, full-day, full-year, on-site child care pilot program for City workers.
Mayor Mamdani and Commissioner Kitasei also announced Imagine Early Learning Centers as the program’s operator. Imagine Early Learning Centers has more than two decades of experience in early childhood education, is 100% employee-owned and currently serves more than 600 children across 12 child care centers in the New York metropolitan area.
The Little Apple’s pilot location will serve approximately 40 children ages 6 weeks to 3 years and operate out of the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building. Last month, Mayor Mamdani expanded the child care program eligibility to include all City workers based at the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building at 1 Centre Street in addition to all DCAS employees regardless of work location. The Municipal Building, one of the largest government office buildings in the world, houses more than 2,000 employees across a dozen municipal agencies.
The program will operate on the ground floor of the building’s North Tower and provide year-round care Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The $10 million renovation is underway to construct a 4,000-square-foot child care facility, with completion expected this fall.
“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,” said Mayor Mamdani. “We hope this center will serve as a model for City government at its best, where a strong start for New York’s Cutest is a guarantee and not a luxury. We’re calling on all DCAS and 1 Centre employees to apply today — kids from 6 weeks to 3 years are eligible!”
“With the launch of the application period and selection of the vendor to operate The Little Apple, we are taking monumental steps forward and transforming what child care looks like in a modern workforce,” said DCAS Commissioner Yume Kitasei. “We’re excited to work with Imagine Early Learning Centers to open the doors to the city’s first The Little Apple site this fall.”
“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 Laura Tulchin, CEO of Imagine Early Learning Center. “As the country’s only 100% employee-owned child care company, we know that a strong child care program like this will benefit all of New York’s families, children and workers. We believe deeply in this program and are proud to be a part of such an important step for our city.”
APPLICATION AND ELIGIBILITY DETAILS
Applications for eligible families are open online now through May 15, 2026.
To be eligible, employees must:
- Be a full-time DCAS employee regardless of work location or a full-time City employee who is assigned to 1 Centre Street.
- Be a parent or legal guardian of a child between the ages of 6 weeks (as of Sept. 1, 2026) and 3 years old (as of Dec. 31, 2026).
One application may be submitted per family and may include multiple children per application. Families will be chosen using a random selection process, with a limited number of seats reserved for applicants seeking five-day/week enrollment. Selected participants will be notified in June. Families not selected will be placed on a waitlist and contacted if space becomes available.
Full eligibility details and application portal are available online.
By expanding access to free, on-site child care, the City is putting upwards of $20,000 a year back in the pockets of working families. The program is also expected to improve the retention of top talent, boost productivity and strengthen job satisfaction among working parents.
Today’s announcement builds on the Mamdani Administration’s commitment to delivering universal child care to New York City families, supported by the State in partnership with Governor Kathy Hochul. Since Jan. 1, 2026, the City has announced the launch of full-day, full-year 2-K, the city’s first universal child care for 2-year-olds, set to launch with 2,000 initial seats this year, as well as an expansion of more than 1,000 3-K seats in 56 ZIP codes.
“Today’s announcement is a huge first step to deliver free child care for municipal employees,” said New York City Comptroller Mark Levine. “This will be a game-changing service for parents, who won’t have to choose between devoting their career to civil service and saving on child care expenses. I look forward to seeing The Little Apple open this Fall, and to the positive ripple effects free and affordable child care will have on our workforce, local economy and government.”
“I’m pleased DCAS is opening applications for the city’s first free municipal child care program, a real step forward in advancing Mayor Mamdani’s free child care policies citywide,” said Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal. “I’m grateful to Commissioner Kitasei for her leadership, and for her commitment to lowering child care costs for our city’s public servants. I look forward to seeing DCAS further expand the city’s child care program borough-wide.”
April 30, 2026 NEW YORK
Sources: NYC Mayor’s Office (official release) | Full coverage on BigNY.com
