NYC official overseeing Mamdani’s childcare expansion for 2-year-olds is stepping down

Simone Hawkins, the deputy chancellor of the Division of Early Childhood Education in New York City, is stepping down in September. This development comes as Mayor Zohran Mamdani's initiative to provide free childcare for 2-year-olds nears its launch, with the program set to open in September at 2,000 seats in select neighborhoods.

Hawkins was appointed to her role by former Chancellor David Banks in 2024 and had previously served as chief executive for operations in the early childhood division in 2022. She was credited with improving operations, launching the 2-K program, and overcoming payment delays to childcare providers. However, her departure has left many in the early childhood education community dismayed.

Brooklyn Councilman Lincoln Restler called it an "enormous loss" and praised her for helping to fill vacant childcare centers the city was paying for. Hawkins expressed gratitude for her time with the city's education department in a statement, noting the department's efforts to make early childhood education more affordable and accessible for working families.