Zohran Mamdani, leading the Democratic charge in the New York City mayoral race, declared on Wednesday his intention to double a program aimed at assisting homeless students in public schools. This proposal was shared exclusively with the Daily News.
The pilot initiative, known as “Every Child and Family Is Known,” connects students residing in Department of Homeless Services shelters with designated school staff members. These staffers conduct daily check-ins with the children and hold weekly meetings with their parents. Currently, one out of every eight students in the city’s schools lacks a permanent home.
The plan outlines an expansion from 3,200 to 7,000 students in Mamdani’s inaugural year as mayor, with eventual expansion to all homeless families citywide. While Mamdani has proposed various educational reforms, such as adjusting gifted programs or reducing mayoral control, this marks his first detailed and documented educational policy proposal.
Mamdani’s campaign emphasizes his belief that children need a stable home environment to concentrate on academics, alongside a commitment to supporting immigrant families in shelters as they seek asylum in the U.S.
“That attention, that care, it has increased senses of belonging, it has increased levels of attendance, it has increased wellness for these children,” Mamdani mentioned in a Jewish Currents podcast in April. He continued, “This is a funding issue, [but] it’s also a prioritization issue, where if we’re not showing these kids that they matter to this city, then that’s how they will have to live their lives.”
Andrew Cuomo, a former governor running independently, has proposed converting schools serving homeless students into “community schools,” which would provide comprehensive family support services. GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa has criticized the city for the high rate of student homelessness, even as it invests in housing for migrants.
Mamdani would start the Every Child and Family Is Known expansion with the “highest-need” schools with 10 or more children in DHS shelters, growing the number of participating schools from 125 to 230.
The price tag is $8.6 million, which the Mamdani campaign said it would fund through a combination federal Title I and McKinney-Vento funding for students in poverty and temporary housing, as well as city tax levy. President Trump has pushed for changes to both federal programs.
That total is based on estimated costs of $1,200 per child to pay current teachers and other staff members overtime to serve as the so-called “Caring Adults,” as well as books, laundry cards and detergent, and professional development.
The expansion of Every Child and Family Is Known is the first written plan for K-12 schools put forward by Mamdani, who has made free child care the focus of his education agenda and expressed interest in giving up some of his power over the public schools.
It comes less than a week after Mamdani responded to a questionnaire in The New York Times that he would eliminate Gifted and Talented admissions in kindergarten, reviving a simmering debate over the separate track for select students, who are less likely to be Black or Hispanic.
Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos recently announced during her 2025 State of Our Schools speech the program would grow citywide this year.
Asked if Mamdani would consider keeping Aviles-Ramos on as chancellor given their mutual interest in growing the program, the campaign said the candidate has not made any personnel decisions yet but was “heartened” to hear about this year’s smaller expansion.
Originally Published: October 8, 2025 at 11:17 AM EDT
