Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled plans on Monday for a new day care facility tailored for municipal employees, with a per child cost exceeding twice the standard childcare rates, reaching nearly $60,000.
This pilot initiative is set to launch in the fall within the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building in Lower Manhattan, following a $10 million renovation of a portion of the first floor. The center will accommodate just 40 children, ranging from six weeks to three years old.
The childcare center builds upon a concept introduced by Mamdani’s predecessor, Mayor Eric Adams, which was first announced last October.
Mamdani noted that while the Adams administration had laid out the groundwork, it did not secure funding for the center’s operations. He confirmed that the projected $2.3 million cost will be included in the city’s forthcoming executive budget.
This translates to a cost of $57,500 per child for daycare services running from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
In comparison, the city’s average annual expense for private day care for infants is approximately $26,000, and $23,400 for toddlers.
City Hall didn’t respond to questions about the soaring cost to the city compared to private center-based programs.
The municipal freebie comes as Mamdani claims the city has a $5.4 billion budget deficit and that he needs Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature to hike taxes on the rich and corporations to bail the city out.
