What You Need to Know: How to Get a 3-K or Pre-K Seat in NYC

All children in New York City aged 3 or 4 are eligible for 3-K and Pre-K, regardless of immigration status. The application period opened on Wednesday, Jan. 15, and closes Feb. 28, 2025.

The idea of making pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) education available to every 4-year-old in the city has been around for more than a decade. In 2017, New York City expanded the free early childhood education program to 3-year-olds through its 3-K initiative.

Last year, Mayor Eric Adams pledged that everyone would have access to a seat in New York City’s free preschool programs (and while the mayor touts delivering on that promise, the reality is more complicated, as hundreds of families reported not receiving a seat at any of the programs they applied to, and being offered placements at schools far from their homes).

According to the New York City Public Schools (NYCPS), 94 percent of families last year received an offer from one of their top three choices, and 96 percent received an offer from one of their listed choices.

This year, the Department of Education has assured that all applicants who apply on time will receive an offer and—to avoid previous problems—will allow applicants to rank an unlimited number of program choices.

The application period opened for the 2025-2026 school year on Wednesday, Jan. 15, , and closes on Feb. 28, 2025.

City Limits has prepared this guide to give an overview of the Pre-K enrollment process based on information shared by three NYCPS officials: Tamara Mair, a senior director with Project Open Arms, the Adams administration’s support plan for recently arrived migrants’ educational needs; Sonya Hooks, chief of capacity building and family engagement in the Division of Early Childhood Education; and Sarah Marlow, senior director in the Office of Student Enrollment for 3-K and Pre-K Admissions.

Who’s eligible for Pre-K and 3-K in NYC?

All New York City children aged 3 for 3-K, or 4 for pre-K, regardless of the immigration status of the family or child. This includes children with disabilities, children with accessibility needs, children learning English, and students living in the shelter system (temporary housing).

Programs are free and provide approximately 6.5 hours of care per day.  

How do I apply?

Families can apply in one of three ways:  

Online, by visiting the city’s MySchools website, creating an account, and applying (applications are available in 10 languages)

By phone, via calling 718-935-2009. Interpretation is available.

In-person by visiting a Family Welcome Center (locations are available here)

Regardless of how a family applies, there are translation and interpretation services available, officials emphasized. “The really important thing is that families apply by the deadline,” Marlow insisted. A map of city Pre-K programs is available here, and here for 3-K, and can be filtered by categories such as geography, or dual language. Some programs hold virtual or in-person open houses. 

Families can apply to three different seat types at the MySchools website: 

NYC Early Education Centers (NYCEECs): Operated by community-based organizations and may be private schools, daycare centers, or other sites that partner with NYCPS to provide Pre-K. Some programs may offer early drop-off or late pick-up options for a fee.

District Schools: Pre-K is offered in some public elementary schools.

Pre-K Centers: Operated by NYCPS staff and offer pre-kindergarten classes only.

What does the process consist of?

Once your account has been created, the next step is to select and rank the program options that are of most interest to you.

NYCPS recommended that families list only programs they want their children in, and explained that admission is not first-come, first-served. Instead, it considers three factors: application choices, programs’ seat availability, and admission priorities.

This year there is no limit to the number of programs you can apply to, officials said, unlike last year, when applicants could choose a maximum of 12. Up to this point, officials explained, there are no documents that need to be submitted or uploaded. Families can update their applications at any time before the deadline on Feb. 28.

On May 13, those who apply during the application period should receive their Pre-K or 3-K offers by e-mail or by phone. At that point, programs will also begin making waitlist offers, officials said.

Make sure you secure your seat by accepting your 3-K or Pre-K offer and registering for it by the deadline specified in your offer letter.

What documentation is required to register?

To accept a placement offer and register in person or online, be prepared to provide proof of your child’s age (via a birth certificate, passport, or baptismal record), child’s immunization records (if available), child’s most recent report card/transcript (if available), and proof of address (via a lease, utility bill, tax forms, or others—the complete list of accepted documents is here).

As part of the McKinney-Vento Act, students in temporary housing, including immigrant or asylum-seeking students in the city’s shelter system, are not required to submit documentation (including address, proof of date of birth, and immunization) in order to enroll. Schools must provisionally pre-register the student and then work with students to obtain documentation.

What happens if you move during the admission process?

Call 718-935-2009 or email ESEnrollment@schools.nyc.gov to update your information and your program rankings (you can still change the programs you ranked during the application period.)

What happens if I miss the admission deadline, or move to the city after the deadline? 

Individuals can enroll in 3-K or Pre-K outside of the admissions period, but their options are further limited by seat availability, officials explained. 

Officials recommend that families create a MySchools account and apply immediately, as they will be able to add their children to a waitlist as soon as the application period closes.Families can also contact programs directly to ask to be placed on their waiting list when space becomes available.

Regardless of what grade a kid is entering when they move to  New York City, officials said, there is a process for them to get a seat within the New York City public schools.

What happens if my child doesn’t get into our preferred program? 

Families will be automatically added to the waitlists for their preferred programs and can add their children to additional waitlists.

When a program can make a waitlist offer, it contacts the family directly by email or phone.

Launched in 2019, City Limits’ “What You Need to Know,” series aims to provide New York’s immigrant and Latino communities with practical information and explainers on a variety of topics. A Spanish-language version of this piece is forthcoming. Is there an issue you think we should tackle next? Please send your suggestions to Daniel@citylimits.org

To reach the reporter behind this story, contact Daniel@citylimits.org. To reach the editor, contact Jeanmarie@citylimits.org

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