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Mayor Eric Adams has appointed a new leader to oversee a City Hall office for early childhood education, filling the role more than a year after the former executive director departed.
Amber Cartwright, who previously worked as vice president of core services at Teaching Matters, will serve as the new executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education.
The announcement on Tuesday came weeks after Adams’ budget proposal sparked criticism for failing to renew millions of dollars in early childhood funding. The Adams administration has faced repeated pushback from City Council and advocates over its handling of the early childhood system.
“I am excited to continue supporting children, families, early educators, child care providers, and the organizations dedicated to this critically important work,” Cartwright, who previously served in the Education Department’s Division of Early Childhood Education, said in a statement. “Together, I hope to cultivate a collaborative early childhood community focused on building a high-quality, accessible, and sustainable early childhood education system — one that gives every child a strong start and a brighter future.”
The City Hall office, which was created more than two years ago, sought to help coordinate strategy and planning between city agencies that touched early childhood education, officials said at the time.
But its top post has remained without a permanent successor since October 2023, when former Executive Director Michelle Field left the administration to work as the chief program officer for Harlem Children’s Zone, a nonprofit that combats poverty through early childhood, education, and other support programs. (Deputy Executive Director Tovah Gottesman took over as interim executive director after her departure, according to city officials.)
Cartwright will oversee a staff of four, reporting to Deputy Mayor Ana Almanzar, city officials said. Her office will work closely with the Education Department, Administration for Children’s Services, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Department of Social Services, and other city agencies, officials added.
In his preliminary budget earlier this year, Adams renewed city funding for several programs that were once propped up by federal COVID relief money, like the city’s popular Summer Rising program. But the mayor’s proposal did not include renewals for $112 million for 3-K, the city’s free preschool program for 3-year-olds, $55 million to ensure preschoolers with disabilities find spots in specialized programs, or $25 million for extended-day preschool seats.
Rebecca Bailin, executive director of New Yorkers United for Child Care, said she welcomed additional leadership for the city’s early childhood system, but added she remains skeptical of the Adams administration’s willingness to invest in child care.
“Ultimately, as does everything in the city, the success of this office and her role really depends on whether Mayor Adams is prioritizing child care, and prioritizing pre-K, 3-K, and expansion,” she said. “If he doesn’t put the funding in, and if he makes it clear to his staff and his executives that this isn’t a priority for him, there’s not much they can do.”
During budget negotiations last year, funding for the early childhood system became a focal point in discussions between the Adams administration and City Council. The same could occur in the coming weeks, with council members set to hold budget hearings later this month.
Adams has repeatedly sought to scale back the city’s 3-K program, which expanded significantly under former Mayor Bill de Blasio through the use of one-time federal relief funds. The Adams administration has justified such efforts by pointing to unfilled seats in parts of the city, arguing there’s a mismatch between seats and demand.
Advocates and many members of City Council have pushed back on that assertion, contending the city needs to invest further in outreach and enrollment to ensure seats are filled — with applicants outpacing seats in many parts of the city.
Tuesday, shortly after Cartwright’s appointment, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams called for further investments in the early childhood education system during her annual State of the City Address.
Speaker Adams, who is considering a run for mayor, called for additional state funding for child care vouchers, as well as city funding to expand child care subsidies for families.
“A robust and affordable system is essential to children’s development, our economy, and New Yorkers' ability to remain right here in our city,” she said. “We’ve been consistent in fighting for a comprehensive approach to fix the system that denies access to too many families.”
Though Bailin noted expanded subsidies and vouchers can help families, she added many will still slip through the cracks — particularly low-income families who may not learn about the programs, or may struggle to navigate time-consuming paperwork and other administrative hurdles.
As part of the effort to push for universal child care in the city, a coalition of grassroots advocacy groups, parents, and local officials — including New Yorkers United for Child Care — launched a campaign earlier this year urging the city to expand free child care to include all New York City 2-year-olds.
That effort, dubbed “2-Care,” would serve about 60,000 children, requiring about $1.3 billion to operate at full-scale, advocates said.
“This is a time when we must be expanding, not making cuts,” Bailin said. “The demand and interest in expansion is huge.”
Julian Shen-Berro is a reporter covering New York City. Contact him at jshen-berro@chalkbeat.org.
