Last year, more than 27,000 of the city’s roughly 136,000 free child care seats for kids ages 4 and under went unfilled, about 1 in every 5 seats.

The legislation, supported by 47 of the City Council’s 51 members, would bring relief to thousands of paraprofessionals, whose starting salary is $32,000.

Here’s what experts told Chalkbeat about where the child care system stands now and what it will take to make it free for all.

Meisha Ross Porter is one of two finalists for the Chicago job. Porter led New York City public schools during the COVID pandemic.

Veterans of the city’s prekindergarten expansion say there are lessons for the Mamdani campaign about how to balance growing quickly with keeping the system stable.

Enrollment fell by about 22,000 students, or 2.4%, this year. The city will not claw back more than $250 million from schools with fewer students than projected.

The city Education Department hasn’t launched a systemwide effort to help families at risk of losing SNAP. But many schools are coming up with their own plans.

The 240 new free child care seats are part of a $10 million pilot program to expand access, regardless of families’ income levels.

When a parent is detained by ICE, schools are often the first place that family members left behind turn for help.

Lawmakers, advocates, and city officials immediately condemned the bus companies’ threat.