Early Head Start provides center- and home-based care for children between six weeks and three years old. Beyond care and education, Early Head Start provides children with nutritional meals, health screening tests, and family health services.
Families who want to enroll may qualify if at least one of the following is met: income meets federal guidelines, housing is temporary, benefits are obtained (i.e. SNAP / WIC, cash assistance with TANF, social security income with SSI) or child is in foster care.
Visit MySchools.nyc to find Head Start programs; call them to start your application. Sign up no matter what your citizenship or immigration situation is! Learn more at schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/infant-and-toddler.
Seats are free or low-cost and provide early care and education for up to 10 hours of care a day. Eligibility for these seats are based on family income and needs. If you get an offer, you will need to submit a Childcare Assistance Application.
To know more about childcare assistance also known as vouchers, visit nyc.gov/site/acs/early-care/apply-child-care.page. Learn more about what Extended Care offers at schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/infant-and-toddler.
The Day Care Council of NYC is an organization that works to connect parents to day care centers near them while also working with day care providers themselves to assist in the development of quality child care. Learn more about their community service at dccnyinc.org/families. Contact them at 212-206-7818 or info@dccnyinc.org.
Child care vouchers help cover the cost of child care for children 6 weeks to 13 years old. Children with disabilities up to 19 years old are also covered. Parents are not required to be U.S. citizens. However, the child receiving care must be a U.S. citizen, a U.S. national, or have satisfactory immigration status. The size of your family, where you live, your income, and the reason you need care all play a role in determining eligibility. Find out if you are eligible at mycity.nyc.gov/s/screening-flow. Call the ACS Call Center at 212-835-7610, Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. for help.
Updated on February 20, 2024.
“3k” stands for “three-year-old kindergarten,” which means that the school is for children who are three years old and ready to start their early education. Preschools like 3K schools focus on building basic skills in young kids and getting them ready for kindergarten and beyond. 3K programs have been found to improve children’s intellectual and social development.
1. Sign up for 3-K and/or Pre-K admissions email lists for updates about events and deadlines at schools.nyc.gov/SignUp.
2. Learn when to apply to 3-K or Pre-K at schools.nyc.gov/3k. Annual deadlines are usually in March.
3. Use MySchools.nyc to explore program options.
4. Find your school district (1-32): Enter your address at schoolsearch.schools.nyc or call 311.
5. Apply by the deadline.
**Keep in mind that students who do not attend 3-K the year they are eligible cannot attend 3-K the year the next year when they turn four.**
Beware, that there are three types of 3-K seats or centers you can apply to:
For more information on applications, read this guide. Check schools.nyc.gov/3K for the latest information on deadlines. For detailed instructions about enrollment visit enrollmentsupport.schools.nyc and type “3K enrollment support”.
4K or Pre-K programs prepare four-year-olds for kindergarten by expanding on concepts covered in 3K and introducing more complex ideas.
1. Sign up for Pre-K admissions email lists for updates about events and deadlines at schools.nyc.gov/SignUp.
2. Learn when to apply to Pre-K at schools.nyc.gov/pre-k. Annual deadlines are usually in March.
3. Use MySchools.nyc to explore program options.
4. Find your school district (1-32): Enter your address at schoolsearch.schools.nyc or call 311.
5. Apply by the deadline.
Types of pre-K seats or centers you can apply to are:
For detailed instructions about enrollment visit enrollmentsupport.schools.nyc and type “Pre-K enrollment support”.
Updated on February 15, 2024.