Thousands waitlisted as NYC awards its first free 2-K seats

About 2,000 New York City children received offers Tuesday for the city’s first free 2-K seats, while roughly 3,700 applicants were placed on waitlists as a new report estimated that providing universal child care could require as much as $9.3 billion annually in direct service funding.More than 5,700 families applied for just over 2,000 seats beginning this fall, nearly three applicants for every available spot, according to City Hall.Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced t