Ahead of New York City’s first day for public schools, The Mamdani administration, alongside Chancellor Kamar Samuels, announced a $43 million investment for New York City Public Schools’ Division of Early Childhood Education, according to the Office of the Mayor.
The investment is aimed at preventing future payment delays for child care providers. Efforts include expediting interest-free loans, accelerating contract registration and delivering supplies directly to child care providers.
“For parents struggling under the weight of the affordability crisis, it can mean the difference between being able to work and being forced to choose between a paycheck and caring for your child,” Mamdani said. “But we cannot deliver that relief without the child care providers who make it possible every day.”
Samuels said that families and small business owners in the city cannot afford to wait for contracts to clear. According to Samuels, their priority is addressing those issues immediately.
To fast-track contract registration, the Office of the Mayor says that they will deploy additional staff from the city government to finalize outstanding contracts and deliver them to the City Comptroller for payment.
The plan includes processing interest-free bridge loans within five business days of submission, provided that all required materials are submitted.
NYC Public Schools plans to deliver school supplies and other resources to providers who need it before the school year kicks off on Sept. 10.
The department will enhance communication with child care providers, calling them directly to ensure they have support through the process. They will also increase staff assigned to monitoring communications with those providers.
