New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced March 31, 2026, the launch of the New York City Parent Survey, as part of the initiative to provide universal child care in the future.
Already, beginning this fall Mamdani announced 2,000 free 2-K seats and more than 1,000 new free 3-K seats, and the survey is expected to play a central role in gathering input from families and incorporating it into program design.
Over the next two weeks, families will receive postcard invitations to participate. The survey will also be available online at nyc.gov/parentsurvey. ”All families with young children are encouraged to respond,” said the press release from the Mayor’s office.
The survey opens March 31 in English and Spanish and will remain open through April 13. A summary of results will be released later this year.
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“Last year, New Yorkers made it clear: universal child care is not a luxury, it’s a necessity and it cannot wait. The same spirit of community-driven decision-making will guide how we build this system,” Mamdani is quoted saying in the press release. “Every parent and caregiver deserves a voice in shaping the care their families rely on.”
The survey is a project of the New Practice Lab at New America and is funded by the Robin Hood Foundation. It is expected to be the largest representative survey of New York City parents of young children to date. It asks parents and primary caregivers about their current child care arrangements, preferred schedules and settings and priorities for early childhood education, the Mayor’s office said.
About the Survey
The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete and covers topics including current child care arrangements, parental leave preferences and preferred types and hours of care.
Households that receive a postcard can visit nycparents.norc.org and enter their PIN to access the survey and receive a digital payment for completing it. Other families can visit nyc.gov/parentsurvey for a chance to participate.
All responses are anonymous and voluntary. Data will be kept strictly confidential, and no personally identifiable information will be shared with the Administration. Sampling and data collection are led by NORC at the University of Chicago, a nonpartisan research organization.
The New York City Parent Survey is part of a nationwide effort by the New Practice Lab to strengthen connections between policymakers and families of young children, the press release said.