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Child Care
Child care for infants & toddlers
EarlyLearn | NYC Department of Education
1. How it Works
EarlyLearn is free or low-cost child care and education for children six weeks to two years old. There are hundreds of home-based and center-based programs across NYC offering services in safe and positive learning environments.
- EarlyLearn is available for families who qualify for free or low-cost care.
- Children can play, discover, and build positive relationships.
- Eligibility is based on your family’s income, size, and needs.
- Families who do not get Cash Assistance or are not in foster care or homeless will need to pay a family share based on income.
- Services are available for children with disabilities.
- Early Head Start programs, also under EarlyLearn, serve pregnant mothers, and Infants and Toddler Extended Day/Year Programs. These programs provide services for at least ten hours a day all year round.
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More ways to get help with this program
Visit the website
Visit the EarlyLearn website for more information.
Call 311
Ask for “EarlyLearn Child Care” if you need help finding a program.
Visit a center
Visit an EarlyLearn program near you for help in person.
2. Determine your eligibility
EarlyLearn programs, including Early Head Start, have income and other eligibility requirements. If you qualify, your child can begin a program any time during the year.
Take a short survey to see if you might be eligible for this or 30 other programs.
Am I Eligible?Next section:
3. What you need to include
It’s important to include the right documents when you apply. Your documents show whether the program is right for you.
This page can help you choose the right documents for your application.
Proof of who you are
For each person applying, any one document:
- Passport
- Birth certificate
- Baptismal or other religious certificate
- Official hospital or birth records
- Adoption records
- Naturalization certificate
Proof of where you live
For the household, any one document:
- ID card with address
- Driver license issued within past 6 months
- Current letter/lease/rent receipt with home address from landlord
- Postmarked envelope, postcard, or magazine label with name and date (cannot use if sent to a P.O. Box)
- Correspondence from a government agency which contains name and street address (not a P.O. Box)
- Utility bill (gas, electric, or water)
Proof of your income
For each income source of each income earner, any one document:
Wages & Salary
- Letter from employer on company letterhead, signed and dated (this document is acceptable only if you do not have the other types of documents)
- Paycheck stubs (from the last four weeks in a row that you worked, if your pay is the same each week. If your pay is not always the same, bring pay stubs from the last 12 weeks in a row.)
Self-employment
- Records of earnings and expenses
- Signed and dated income tax return and all schedules
Income from Rent or Room and Board
- Check stub
- Ledger or rent receipt book
- Letter from roomer, boarder, or tenant
Military Pay
- Current award letter
- Current check stub
Child Support or Alimony
- Letter from court
Unemployment Income
- Award letter or certificate
- Bank statement showing the direct deposits
- Copy of the direct payment debit card
- Correspondence from NYS Department of Labor
- Unemployment Insurance Monetary Benefit Determination
Social Security Benefits (SSI, Dependent, Disability, Survivor’s, or Retirement)
- Correspondence from Social Security Administration
- Current award letter or certificate
- Current benefit check
Veteran’s Benefits
- Correspondence from Veterans Administration
- Current award letter
- Current benefit check stub
Worker’s Compensation
- Current award letter
- Current check stub
Pensions, Annuities, or IRA
- Statement from pension or annuity
Interest, dividends, or royalties
- Statement from bank, credit union, or financial institution
Support from Family, Gifts, Inheritance, or Lottery
- Copies of canceled checks from family member
- Signed statement or letter from family member
Proof of citizenship/immigration status
For each person applying, any one document:
- Green card (copy of the front and back)
- Arrival-Departure Record Card: INS form I-94
- Letter from US Citizenship and Immigration (CIS) (formerly INS) showing status and, if necessary, date of entry into the US
- Other INS documents, or correspondence to or from the INS, that shows that you are living in the US with the knowledge and permission of the INS
Note: As long as the child has legal status, the child is eligible for care regardless of the parent(s)’ legal status.
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4. How to apply
Here are your options.
Apply by mail
- Download the application or visit a program of your choice to pick one up, or call 311 to request one in the mail.
- Mail applications:
NYC DOE – Office of Student Enrollment,
PO BOX 377
Maplewood, NJ 07040
Apply in person
- Use MySchools: Choose the “EarlyLearn” and “Family Child Care” filters in the drop-down menu, then type in your home address to find programs near you.
- Download the application, visit a program of your choice to pick one up, or call 311 to request one in the mail.
- Complete the application and submit it with required the documents to the EarlyLearn program of your choice.
- Apply at your assigned HRA Job Center if you already get HRA benefits and want to enroll in an EarlyLearn NYC program.
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More ways to get help with this program
Visit the website
Visit the EarlyLearn website for more information.
Call 311
Ask for “EarlyLearn Child Care” if you need help finding a program.
Visit a center
Visit an EarlyLearn program near you for help in person.