3-K

Who Can Apply?

Apply to 3-K in the calendar year that your child turns three.

Children born in 2020 can participate in admissions to enter 3-K programs in fall 2023. All children of this age who are also NYC residents are welcome to participate, including children currently attending EarlyLearn or other preschool programs, children with disabilities, children with accessibility needs, children learning English, students in temporary housing, LGBTQ and gender nonconforming children, and children who move to NYC during the admissions process. Children do not need to be toilet trained to attend 3-K.

3-K for All Programs

Families citywide can apply to 3-K for All, but seats are limited and residents of school districts offering 3-K for All programs have priority to attend programs in their own districts. Beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, 3-K for All programs are offered in all 32 schools districts:

• In school districts 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 23, 27, 29, 31, and 32, there is a 3-K seat for every three-year-old. 
• In school districts 2, 3, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, and 30, we will offer 3-K seats to as many families as possible.
• Families across the city can still apply to programs in any district, and your child has priority to attend 3-K for All programs in the district where they live.

Find your school district by entering your address at schoolsearch.schools.nyc or calling 311.

Extended Day and Year Seats and Head Start Seats at 3-K Programs

In all 32 school districts, there are 3-K seats available to families who qualify based on income and needs. These programs, including Head Start, are free or low-cost and offer care all year round for up to 10 hours a day.

Find Programs

3-K for All brings free, full-day, high-quality education to three-year-old children in New York City— learn more about the benefits of 3-K

Your 3-K Choices

Use MySchools to search for and learn about 3-K programs. During the application period, you can also use MySchools to add programs to your child's application and submit it.

• There are four different 3-K program settings.
• A specific program may offer up to three seat types, which differ in hours and eligibility requirements. When applying to that program in MySchools, be sure to add the seat type(s) you want and are eligible for to your child's application.

3-K Program Settings

There are four types of settings for 3-K programs. You can choose to apply to programs in one setting or across two, three, or all four settings. Each setting offers the same DOE high-quality, play-based curriculum to New York City’s three-year-old children:

• NYC Early Education Centers (NYCEECs). These are community-based organizations with early childhood expertise. They partner with the DOE to provide 3-K programs.
  • Consider NYC Early Education Centers if your child currently attends the center, has a sibling also attending the program, or your family receives social services from the organization that runs the center.
  • Some NYC Early Education Centers also offer up to 10 hours of 3-K programming, all year round for families that qualify: see the Enrollment for Extended Day and Year Seats and Head Start Seats section of this page to find out more about whether your family may be eligible.
• District Schools. Some DOE public elementary schools offer 3-K programs. Consider this option if your child has an older sibling already attending the school, or you want your child to attend a program in an elementary school setting.
• Pre-K Centers. Pre-K Centers are run by DOE staff and only offer grades before kindergarten. Consider Pre-K Centers if you want your child to attend a 3-K program with only young children. These are DOE early childhood centers that only offer grades below kindergarten.
• Family Child Care (Home-Based Programs). Home-based programs, also known as family child care programs, offer 3-K in a home setting by a licensed, qualified, child care provider.
  • In this setting, 3-K children are served in mixed-age groups with other children from birth to three years old.
  • These programs are consistent with 3-K programs offered in center-based and district school settings, and are overseen by the Department of Education and a Family Child Care Network organization that provides instructional resources, coaching, and family support.
  • Families may choose to enroll their children in home-based early childhood programs because of their many unique strengths:
    • Children can form strong relationships with caregivers by continuing in the same program from six weeks to three years old.
    • Children can interact with other children, including siblings, in a mixed-age setting.
    • Children can begin their early education in a familiar setting before transitioning to center- or school-based pre-K, if that is the family's preference.
    • Families can have access to programs that offer longer days and years to meet the needs of work or school schedules.
    • Families can find programs that are conveniently located close to home, work, or school.
    • Families may find that home-based programs best reflect the language and culture of their community.
    • Like center- and school-based programs, home-based 3-K programs help children learn, grow, and explore the world around them. Home-based programs use DOE-approved curriculum, and the providers receive professional learning and coaching to support quality play-based instruction.

3-K Seat Types

There are three 3-K seat types: School Day, Extended Day and Year, and Head Start. A 3-K program may offer one, two, or all three of these seat types. You can learn which programs offer which seat types in MySchools. Different seat types have different eligibilities, so check to make sure you are applying to the seat type(s) you want and are likely eligible for.

• School Day seats are open to all NYC children born in 2020. These seats are free and provide early care and education for 6 hours and 20 minutes per day during the school year, typically from September to June.
• Extended Day and Year seats are free or low cost and provide care for up to 10 hours of early care and education a day, year-round, including the summer. Eligibility for these seats is based on family income and needs. If you receive an offer to an Extended Day and Year seat, you will need to confirm your child’s eligibility by completing a Child Care application.

• Head Start seats are free and provide 10 hours of early care and education a day, year-round. Eligibility for Head Start is based on family income and needs. If you receive an offer to a Head Start seat, the program will work with you to confirm your child’s eligibility.

How to Apply

During the application period, families can apply one of two ways:

1. Online with MySchools. Apply online in English, Arabic, Bengali/Bangla, Chinese, Haitian Creole, French, Korean, Russian, Spanish, or Urdu.
2. By phone at 718-935-2009. Interpretation services are available in more than 200 languages for over-the-phone applications. You can ask questions and request information about admissions in any language when you call.

Families Applying to 3-K for More than One Child

If you are applying to 3-K for more than one child and want your children to attend the same program, you can apply for all children at the same time. First, create your MySchools account. Then add all your children to your MySchools dashboard. After all children have been added to the dashboard, make sure to list which children are multiples (such as twins or triplets) when submitting your application.

Tip: 3-K admissions is not first come, first served! You can make changes to your application any time before the deadline. All applications submitted by this date are treated the same based on admissions priorities.

Need Care Now?

Some 3-K programs can enroll children at any time throughout the year, if their family is eligible based on income and needs. See the Enrollment for 3-K Extended Day and Year Seats and Head Start Seats section of this page to learn more.

If you have questions about 3-K admissions, email ESEnrollment@schools.nyc.gov .