Overview
- Applications for the pilot, which opened Thursday, will be accepted through May 15 with participants chosen by lottery and notices going out in June, and unselected families placed on a waitlist.
- The center is slated to open this fall on the Dinkins Municipal Building’s ground floor after a $10 million, 4,000‑square‑foot buildout.
- Eligibility is limited to full‑time DCAS staff or full‑time city employees assigned to 1 Centre Street who have a child between 6 weeks old as of Sept. 1 and age 3 by Dec. 31.
- Imagine Early Learning Centers will run the site, offering free, full‑day, year‑round care Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- The pilot follows recent expansions of free care for 2‑year‑olds and added 3‑K seats, and city leaders say the workplace model could also help retain municipal employees.