New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, alongside Governor Kathy Hochul, has initiated a program to provide 2,000 free childcare spots for two-year-olds, a foundational step towards his campaign pledge of universal free childcare. This initiative, dubbed "2K," is slated to expand next year to 12,000 spots, with an estimated cost of $73 million for the first year and $425 million for the second, funded by New York State as part of a $1.2 billion commitment to early childcare. Notably, this program will not require the tax increases Mamdani had proposed and Hochul opposed, with the governor asserting that funding can be secured through existing revenues. The expansion of childcare, alongside a rent freeze and free bus services, were key components of Mamdani's platform, though funding for free buses remains a budget discussion.