BY ESTHER BOILEAU
The Little Apple has just opened its first daycare center in the DCAS building at 1 Centre St. New York’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) and Imagine Early Learning Services have partnered together to run the first free childcare center for municipal workers.
Childcare costs are skyrocketing, and prices for infants to toddlers are going as high as $1,850 per month. Mayor Mamdani, DCAS, and Imagine have set out to pilot a program that is a 100 percent free childcare assistance for the DCAS municipal workers in the same building. But this is just the start for the program. The project, called “ The Little Apple,” opened its doors this Thursday September 10, 2026 with the enrollment of tiny apples from six weeks up to three years of age. Backed and operated by their partner Imagine Early Learning Centers, the program will consist of 40 tots and run between the hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and provide meals.
Walking in a visitor can see the former mail room for the DCAS agency now turned into a kiddie wonderland. Sensory walls and small books fill the nooks that are lit by the pastel walls. The small tables and chairs are intended to make the kids feel at home.
The project has already finished under budget and in a record seven months. Brandon Haynes, a DCAS worker and his wife Shani were amongst the first to enroll little Jackson into the inaugural program. When the cost of childcare came up Brandon Haynes also shared his thoughts, “the realization of childcare while having a child I was flabbergasted[…]so having this here to cover the cost is a great stress reliever.” Shani, who also had doubts about who was watching the children, weighed in on what she thought about the workers of Imagine at the facility. “ They’re extremely good at communicating, they have reached out to us at every point[…], so handing him over to people who we trust is really great for us.”
Marina Gutierrez, the director of The Little Apple, an educator and mother herself, added, “Childcare is the infrastructure for our kids,” she said, “and great childcare starts with great educators.”
Having adequate childcare has been an issue that has plagued parents for some time. The aim for this pilot program, Gutierrez explained, is not only to alleviate the stressors that come with finding adequate help but also to give accessibility to those who really could benefit from this program while building a community and village that many often need. In 2025 childcare for infants to toddlers was $1,550 to $1,800 per month, over a 33percent difference to the national average.
As the pilot gears up to open to the children one thing that Jenny Cha, another member of Imagine says is, “the point here is that we’re not just investing in childcare, but the future of New York City, it’s the families and the next generation of the city.”