Proposed Int. No. 9-A
By Council Member Lee, The Speaker (Council Member Menin) and Council Members Gutiérrez, Schulman, Hanif, Louis, Encarnación, Ung, Cabán, Hanks, Brewer, Morano and the Public Advocate (Mr. Williams)
A Local Law in relation to a study and report on the processes for obtaining permits and licenses or registrations to operate a child care program
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Study and report on expediting the child care permitting process. a. Definitions. For purposes of this local law, the following terms have the following meanings:
Child care. The term “child care” has the same meaning as set forth in section 20-v of chapter 1 of the charter.
Child care program. The term “child care program” means an organization that provides child care.
License or registration. The term “license or registration” means a license or registration issued by the New York state office of children and family services to operate a child care program in the city of New York.
Permit. The term “permit” means a permit issued by the department of health and mental hygiene pursuant to article 47 of the New York city health code.
b. The office of child care and early childhood education, in consultation with the department of health and mental hygiene, the department of buildings, the fire department, and other relevant agencies as needed, shall study the processes required to obtain a permit or a license or registration. In conducting such study, the office of child care and early childhood education shall solicit input from child care programs, parents, community organizations, advocacy groups, and the New York state office of children and family services. No later than 1 year after the effective date of this local law, the office of child care and early childhood education shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council a report on such study. Such report shall:
1. Identify the steps required to obtain a permit, including, but not limited to, any approvals, forms, inspections, and the roles of the department of mental health and hygiene, the fire department, the department of buildings, and other relevant agencies in the permitting process;
2. Identify the information the city provides to child care programs to assist with obtaining a license or registration;
3. Describe challenges or barriers, including those related to interagency communication, timelines, coordination of inspections, processing times, duplicative paperwork requirements, background check processing and portability, and common delays, identified by child care programs, parents, community organizations, and advocacy groups in the study, if any;
4. Provide recommendations to relevant city agencies to streamline the processes for obtaining a permit or a license or registration, including, but not limited to, recommendations related to improving communication, collaboration, and sharing of documents among agencies and with New York state office of children and family services relating to inspections, approvals, and paperwork requirements, while maintaining health and safety and ensuring compliance with relevant health, safety, and building standards; and
5. Provide the number of permit applications submitted to the department of health and mental hygiene, and the number of permits issued by such department, between the effective date of this local law and the last day of the month preceding the date the department submits the report.
§ 2. This local law takes effect 30 days after a local law amending the New York city charter, in relation to establishing an office of child care and early childhood education to oversee the planning and implementation of child care for any child who resides in the city at no cost to a parent, stepparent, guardian, or relative of such child, as proposed in introduction number 580-A for the year 2026, takes effect.
CY/JGP
LS #10788, 17813
Int. #1189-2025
6/3/2026 10:40 PM