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The city will invest $10 million in aid to pay for child care for families who are unable to receive federal government aid due to their immigrant status, according to an announcement by Mayor Eric Adams.

“All children deserve a chance to succeed, no matter where they come from, and as a city of immigrants, we know the American dream begins here in New York City,” Mayor Adams said announcing the so-called “New York Promise” . ‘.

These families who do not receive government assistance are basically immigrant families with unauthorized immigrant status (undocumented).

The program is part of what the mayor called “Affordable, Equitable, High-Quality, Affordable: A Plan for Child Care and Early Education in New York City.” The funds will be distributed through community organizations.

According to the mayor, the program will be particularly beneficial to newly arrived asylum seekers, helping to ensure that parents can seek stable housing and gainful employment while their children are cared for in safety.

Scheduled to launch in January 2023, the city expects “Promise NYC” to support at least 600 children over the next six months.

“Overcoming obstacles in a new city and a new country is difficult, and the combination of these problems with a lack of childcare can prevent parents and families from realizing the dream they had so desperately set for. With the launch of Promise NYC, we are taking the stress out of these worries, supporting children and families, and creating a more just city for all New Yorkers.”

With the NYC Promise program, City Mayor Eric Adams announced $10 million in support for the care of children of immigrant families, especially those who have arrived in New York seeking asylum in recent months.

The aim is to help this population as due to their immigration status they are ineligible for federal benefits that include childcare.

According to the mayor’s office, this is the first time this assistance has been offered.

“This basically provides free or even low-cost child care to families with children ages 6 to 13,” said Andrea Ortiz of the New York Immigrant Coalition.

The new program opens the door to assistance for thousands of undocumented families.

“And all kinds of programs that make it easier for a family to find a job, right, because if you have to drop off your kid at 8 in the morning, but you also have to pick them up at 2 in the afternoon, that doesn’t mean you can have a full day work, so these extended day schedules are very important,” added Ortiz.

During the announcement of the program, the mayor commented:

“Overcoming obstacles in a new city and a new country is difficult, and associating these problems with a lack of child care can keep parents and families from realizing the dream they have so desperately set for. With the launch of Promise NYC , we are relieving the stress of those worries.

“I say it’s very good that the mayor is helping,” said Balbina Briones, a Washington Heights resident. “Because in our countries you know that we suffer a lot of poverty, crime.”

The city will work hand-in-hand with four community organizations close to immigrant communities in New York’s five boroughs.

The program will be officially launched in January next year and it is estimated that at least 600 children will be supported during the first half of 2023.

In addition, according to reports from the New York Post, the mayor has asked the federal government for one billion dollars to assist the more than 30,000 immigrants who have arrived in the Big Apple this year.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (or FEMA) confirmed Wednesday that it had received the city’s application for funding and is reviewing it.