3. Invest in multilingual, multicultural outreach and programming to build awareness and trust in publicly-funded care. Outreach and education, in the languages that NYC parents speak, and with culturally-responsive messaging, will be critical to the success of universal child care. Awareness gaps persist for some public programs, particularly among parents who primarily speak languages other than English, while trust remains the most important factor when choosing child care for nearly all demographic groups. But reaching these families is only the first step. The programs they are connected to must also reflect their preferences. The Mamdani Administration has already taken early steps to expand public outreach and improve how information about available programs is communicated. 25 The City should build on its communi- ty-based outreach to better understand how the publicly-funded system could engender greater trust and participation in different communities, while expanding engagement through other sources fam- ilies rely on for child care information, including health care and child development professionals. At the same time, the City must be intentional about supporting providers and educators who align with the linguistic and cultural needs of parents so that parents who are looking for a provider who matches their family’s particular language and culture have options available in which to enroll. Family child care warrants additional attention within this broader outreach effort. Preference for home-based care remains relatively low in certain school districts, including some where 2-K is launching first, even though home-based programs are expected to account for a significant share of 2-K seats overall. The City should ensure that family child care is prominently included in 2-K outreach and enrollment materials, clearly communicating how these programs work and what distinguishes them from other child care settings.
25 https://www.nyc.gov/assets/fund/downloads/pdf/family-focus-group-rfp-final.pdf
THE 2026 NEW YORK CITY PARENT SURVEY : WHAT CHILD CARE PARENTS WANT 33
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