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NYC sends out nearly 100,000 Pre-K and 3-K offers

This year 70% of 3-K applicants received their top choice, up from 65% last year. Fewer families were assigned to programs they did not rank, per city data.

Heather Fordham

May 19, 2026, 9:47 AM

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New York City has sent out nearly 100,000 offers for 3-K and Pre-K for the upcoming school year, according to City Hall.

This year 70% of 3-K applicants received their top choice, up from 65% last year. Fewer families were assigned to programs they did not rank, per city data.

Travel times are also improving as well, for families who were manually placed, the average commute is set to drop by nearly a mile or roughly 17 city blocks.

Still, just under 200 families will have to travel outside of the borough they live in.

“Across the five boroughs, families are traveling shorter distances, more children are receiving offers to their top-choice programs, and fewer parents are being forced to choose between unaffordable private care and leaving the city they love. This is what government excellence looks like," the mayor said in a statement.

The number of families actually applying for Pre-K this year have dropped slightly, with 51,785 applicants compared to 51,613 last year, and just 60% of families who are eligible for the program actually applied.

As for 3-K, 50% of eligible families applied for the program and out of 42,640 applicants, the city says 43,083 were given offers.

https://x.com/heatherfordham_/status/2056715779492511896?s=20

The mayor has made outreach a core focus of his childcare agenda, baselining $5 million annually in the budget for outreach and engagement.

In January, Governor Hochul announced $1.2 billion investment to help fund Mayor Mamdani's goal to achieve universal childcare across the city.

The city says these offers are preliminary.

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