Child Care

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Alert

Child care centers are open and are allowed to operate in red, orange, and yellow COVID-19 hot zones.

Centers must follow strict safety guidelines including:

No more than 15 children per room, social distancing
Face coverings for staff and children
Daily health screenings
Frequent cleanings and disinfection
Limited sharing of items, including toys

The Department of Health will inspect programs to verify compliance.

Contact your child care provider for more information about reopening.

Get health and safety guidelines for child care centers.

Need something else?

Child Care Financial Assistance for help paying for child care
Head Start to learn about free child development activities for children ages 3 and 4
Pre-Kindergarten Enrollment for information about Pre-K and 3-K for all
Child Care Complaint to report a problem with a child care program
After School Program for elementary, middle school, and high school students.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Schools for information about the Learning Bridges child care program

You can get information about permitted, licensed, and registered child care programs. Some of these programs are partially paid for by the City. Others are private and will require you to pay for the full cost of the program.

Child care programs include:

Group child care during the day or at night for children 3 to 5 years of age
Infant-toddler care for children 0 to 2 years of age
Home-based or after school child care services

Due to the rise in COVID-19 cases in certain neighborhoods, the City is implementing restrictions for businesses, schools, and gatherings in three zones identified by the State—red, orange, yellow. Red zones are the areas of the most concern and the greatest restrictions.

Citywide Restrictions

All public school buildings closed on Thursday, November 19 and will reopen in phases. To learn more, visit the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Schools page.

In addition, as of Friday, November 13:

All gyms and fitness centers must close from 10 PM to 5 AM daily.
All restaurants and bars must close indoor and outdoor dining from 10 PM to 5 AM daily. Takeout and delivery are still allowed after 10 PM, except for alcoholic beverages.

Manhattan COVID Zones

Effective November 25, a yellow zone, which covers a large portion of upper Manhattan, has been added. (Effective date for non-public schools was November 30)

Staten Island COVID Zones

Effective November 25, the entire borough of Staten Island has been covered by either an orange or a yellow zone. (Effective date for non-public schools in portions of Staten Island with zone color changes was November 30)

Bronx COVID Zones

Effective November 19, two yellow zones, which cover large portions of the Bronx, have been added.

Brooklyn COVID Zones

Effective November 19, the orange zone has moved to yellow.
Effective November 19, the pre-existing yellow zone has been removed.

Queens COVID Zones

Effective November 19, the Queens yellow zone has been expanded.

Type of Activity	Red Zone	Orange Zone	Yellow Zone
Schools	CLOSED Mandatory testing of 30% of students and staff for in-person settings for a month.	CLOSED Mandatory testing of 20% of students and staff for in-person settings for a month.	OPEN Mandatory testing of 20% of students and staff for in-person settings for 2 weeks.
Businesses	Essential businesses open	Essential and low-risk non-essential businesses open *	Open
Mass Gatherings	Prohibited	10 people maximum, indoor and outdoor	25 people maximum, indoor and outdoor
Dining	Delivery and takeout only	Delivery, takeout, and outdoor dining only 4 person maximum per table	Delivery, takeout, outdoor and indoor dining allowed 4 person maximum per table
Worship	50% capacity	50% capacity	50% capacity

* High-risk non-essential businesses must be closed, including gyms and fitness centers and personal care services (such as barbers, hair salons, spas, tattoo or piercing parlors, nail technicians and nail salons, cosmetologists, estheticians, laser hair removal, and electrolysis)

The City has created a zone look-up tool to help New Yorkers check which zone they are located in.

Use the COVID-19 Zone Finder.

To report a business in a COVID-19 zone not following zone guidelines, visit the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Zone Business Complaint page.

To report a school not following COVID-19 health and safety rules, visit the School Reopening Complaint page.

Online

NYC Child Care Connect is an online portal that includes a group child care center directory and a free messaging service that parents and caregivers can sign up for to receive notifications about specific child care centers.

To compare child care centers, you can review:

Recent inspection reports
Violations issued
Staff turnover

Access NYC Child Care Connect and sign up for the messaging service.

Get tips for choosing a day care provider.

By Phone

You can get a list of licensed and registered child care programs through the Child Care Resource and Referral Consortium.

Call 311 for assistance by phone.

The Living for the Young Family through Education (LYFE) Program provides day care services for children, ages 8 weeks to 3 years old, of students still attending school. This program tries to meet the specialized needs of young families.

Online

Learn about day care for parenting teens who are in school.

By Phone

Call 311 for assistance.

[67003]

As of January 1, 2019, all group child care programs and school-based child care programs must keep at least two epinephrine auto-injectors with retractable needles on-site. These auto-injectors must be dosed for children. At least one staff person trained in using the auto-injector must be on-site whenever children are present.

This requirement does not apply to home-based family day care programs.

Online

Learn more about epinephrine.

By Phone

Call 311 for assistance.

COVID-19 Zone Rules

Licensed Child Care Providers

Child Care Services for Students

Epinephrine Auto-Injectors in Child Care Programs