Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani is turning up the volume on New York City’s free early childhood seats, urging families this week to grab remaining 3‑K and pre‑K spots before the application window slams shut. In a bilingual message posted Tuesday, he pointed parents straight to the city’s enrollment portal, timing the push just days before spring offer letters are set to go out. City Hall is casting the effort as a focused campaign to reach immigrant and working‑class families who might otherwise miss the cutoff, and Mamdani leaned on both Spanish and English in the post to meet more New Yorkers where they are.
How to apply, deadlines and the portal
According to the NYC Department of Education, families can apply for free seats if their children were born in 2023 for 3‑K or in 2022 for pre‑K. Applications can be submitted online, by phone, or in person at Family Welcome Centers. The city opened the application period on Jan. 14, and it closes this Friday, Feb. 27. Offer letters are scheduled to land in May.
Mamdani’s post routes families to the city’s main enrollment hub at MySchools.nyc, where parents can browse the program directory and follow step by step instructions to complete an application. For anyone who prefers to talk it through, the DOE notes that phone support and interpretation services are available by calling 718-935-2009.
Why the city is ramping up outreach
Local reporting points out that this latest blitz follows several years of uneven outreach and seat availability, when some neighborhoods wound up with unclaimed spots even as other families scrambled. As Epicenter NYC has reported, the administration has promised extra resources for advertising and on the ground help, with a particular eye on immigrant and low income families who may not be plugged into the usual city communications.
Mamdani’s bilingual post on X is part of that push, doubling as both a reminder of the looming deadline and a direct link to MySchools, which the city is treating as the central place for families to check eligibility, compare program options and actually hit “submit.”
Where families can get help
City guidance says MySchools and DOE enrollment materials are available in more than a dozen languages, and the main enrollment phone line offers interpretation for callers who need it. For those who prefer face to face support, any Family Welcome Center across the five boroughs can walk families through the application and help explain the different types of seats on offer.
Officials emphasize that filing an application by the deadline gives families the strongest shot at landing a seat close to home, and programs rely on waitlists to fill any openings that pop up later in the year.
For parents who have not started yet, getting a MySchools account set up and collecting a child’s basic details, including name, date of birth and proof of address, can make the final crunch much smoother. With the clock ticking toward Friday’s close, the mayor and city officials are openly asking neighbors, schools and community groups to help amplify the message in as many languages as it takes.
