Free 3-K and Pre-K are run by NYC Public Schools, not by the individual programs, and you apply to them the same way you apply to a school — one application, up to twelve choices, ranked. It is not first come, first served, and applying early inside the window does not help you.

The rule that decides which year is yours

• Pre-KYour child starts in the school year in which they turn 4 by 31 December.
• 3-KSame rule, one year earlier: they turn 3 by 31 December.
• You cannot make it upA child who skips their eligible year does not get to do it the next year instead. This catches people.

Where the calendar actually sits right now

The 2026–27 round is over. It opened 14 January 2026, closed 27 February 2026, and main-round offers went out 19 May 2026. The next round opens in January. The exact dates move every year and the Department says so plainly on its own page, so check schools.nyc.gov/3k rather than trusting a date you read anywhere, including here.

If you missed it

• Waitlists are open all yearAdd yourself in MySchools, or call the program directly.
• There is a filter for leftover seatsThe 3-K/Pre-K directory in MySchools has a "Need a seat for the school year" filter that shows programs still taking children. You contact those programs yourself.
• You can apply by phone or in person718-935-2009, or any Family Welcome Center. Only a parent or legal guardian can apply.

The four kinds of program, which nobody explains up front

• District school 3-K/Pre-KInside a regular public school, DOE staff, about 6 hours 20 minutes a day.
• Pre-K CentersStand-alone DOE centers, 3-K and Pre-K only, in school buildings but run separately with their own admissions priorities.
• NYCEECsCommunity-based programs holding DOE-funded seats. Some also offer Extended Day and Year seats, up to 10 hours a day, year-round, which have income and need requirements the standard seats do not.
• Family child carePublicly funded 3-K delivered in a licensed home, mixed ages, with a network organisation providing oversight and coaching.

Checking a program before you hand over a child

Two different regulators, two different lookups, and which one you need depends on the kind of care, not on the neighbourhood.

• Centers and group programsNYC Health Department, Child Care Connect: a816-healthpsi.nyc.gov/ChildCare/search.action. Inspection records, searchable by name or by neighbourhood. You can subscribe to alerts for a specific site.
• Home-based careNew York State OCFS, Search for Child Care: ocfs.ny.gov/programs/childcare/looking/ccfs-search.php. Licence status, capacity, when it opened, inspection results.
• A licence has to be on the wallThe Health Department's own guidance tells you to look for it at the site.

When care legally needs a licence in New York

State law is more specific than most people assume, and knowing the numbers tells you whether the arrangement you are considering is regulated at all.

• More than two children, three or more hours a dayneeds a licence or registration.
• 3 to 6 children in a family homefamily day care home, registration required.
• 7 to 12 children in a family homegroup family day care home, registration required.
• 7 or more in a facility that is not a residencechild day care center, licence required.
• Relatives are exemptCare by a parent, stepparent, guardian, or relative within the third degree needs nothing.

What no official source will tell you

Which programs near you actually have seats, how far waitlists really move by September, and which ones parents here would send a second child to. That is the part this page needs from you.

Where this came from

Checked 1 August 2026 against schools.nyc.gov (3-K page, updated 24 April 2026), NYC enrollment support, NYC ACS Find Child Care, NYC Health Department Child Care Connect, NY State OCFS, and New York Social Services Law section 390. Dates and thresholds change; the sources are named so you can check them yourself.