NYC Adds 1,000 Free 3-K Seats —See If Your Neighborhood Will Get Them

Mayor Zohran Mamdani is set to announce a citywide 3-K expansion, adding seats for three-year-olds across 56 ZIP codes to help families access early childhood education.

Just a week after announcing which neighborhoods will get free 2-K seats this fall, New York City is expanding its early childhood programs again.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani will announce today that over 1,000 additional 3-K seats will be added for the upcoming school year. These new seats will reach 56 ZIP codes across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and, this time, Staten Island, too!

At-a-Glance

• Over 1,000 new 3-K seats will be added for this fall.
• It covers all five boroughs this time.
• Parents can search and apply online through MySchools.
• Programs are designed for three-year-olds before pre-K.
• Areas missing 2-K access will now be included in this expansion.
  

This rollout brings the city’s total 3-K seats to over 40,000 and extends access to neighborhoods that missed out on the 2-K program, most notably parts of Staten Island, which felt overlooked when 2-K seats were selected.

The 3-K programs will offer free, full-day early education for three-year-olds before they enter pre-K and kindergarten.

Mayor Mamdani spoke about the program in a video released on Instagram and YouTube, and addressed the difficulty in finding affordable childcare in the city, saying that in the past, some parents had to travel three miles to reach their designated childcare spot.

“A 3-year-old can’t take themselves to class three miles away, and a working parent shouldn’t have to commute from Parkchester to Park Slope just to find childcare,” he said. “That’s why our administration is working tirelessly to make sure that every family can get the more than $20,000 in savings a year that 3-K provides them, and so every child can receive the benefits of an early childhood education.”

The mayor said if you’ve already applied for 3-K, you don’t have to do anything, and families will be notified once new 3-K seats are available in their neighborhoods. Parents have until April 24 to fill out a new application or update an existing one.

Psst… Check Out New Yorkers Struggle with Child Care Costs Across the Five Boroughs

Check If Your ZIP Code Is on the List

Bronx

10461 – Fordham, Pelham Bay, Morris Park
10462 – Parkchester, Morris Park, Pelham Parkway
10465 – Country Club, Edgewater Park, Throgs Neck
10469 – Eastchester
10475 – Co-Op City

Brooklyn

11201 – DUMBO, Downtown Brooklyn, Cobble Hill, Vinegar Hill
11214 – Bath Beach, Gravesend, Bensonhurst
11217 – Boerum Hill, Park Slope, Prospect Heights
11218 – Kensington, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park
11222 – Greenpoint
11229 – Sheepshead Bay, Midwood, Gerritsen Beach
11234 – Canarsie, Marine Park, Mill Basin, Flatlands
11238 – Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Clinton Hill

Manhattan

10003 – East Village, Gramercy, Union Square
10010 – Flatiron, Kips Bay
10011 – Chelsea, West Village
10012 – SoHo, Greenwich Village
10014 – West Village
10017 – Midtown East
10018 – Midtown West
10021 – Upper East Side
10022 – Midtown East
10024 – Upper West Side
10025 – Upper West Side, Morningside Heights
10036 – Hell’s Kitchen, Midtown West
10040 – Washington Heights, Inwood
10044 – Roosevelt Island
10065 – Upper East Side
10128 – Yorkville

Queens

11004 – Glen Oaks, Floral Park
11105 – Astoria, Ditmars‑Steinway
11109 – Long Island City
11356 – College Point
11363 – Little Neck, Douglaston
11365 – Fresh Meadows, Auburndale
11368 – Corona
11370 – Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst
11372 – Jackson Heights
11375 – Forest Hills
11378 – Maspeth
11379 – Middle Village
11385 – Ridgewood, Glendale
11418 – Richmond Hill
11420 – Ozone Park
11423 – Hollis
11426 – Bellerose
11432 – Jamaica
11433 – Jamaica
11436 – Jamaica, Ozone Park
11691 – Far Rockaway

Staten Island

10302 – Port Richmond
10306 – New Dorp, Midland Beach, Lighthouse Hill
10307 – Tottenville
10308 – Great Kills
10309 – Charleston, Prince’s Bay, Pleasant Plains
10312 – Eltingville, Annadale, Arden Heights

Staten Island was excluded from the 2-K rollout, so these new 3-K seats will finally bring extra early childhood options to families on the island.

How to Apply for 3-K

Families can apply for 3-K through the city’s NYC MySchools enrollment system.

Here’s how:

1. Create or log into your MySchools account.
2. Search for 3-K programs near your home or workplace.
3. Rank the programs in order of preference.
4. Submit your application before the city’s deadline.

Seats are open to all NYC families, regardless of income or immigration status.

Psst… Check Out Free 2-K Seats Are Coming to These NYC Neighborhoods This Fall