Meet the NYC parents who feel like their toddlers got into Harvard

A new 2-K student poses for her first day in the program.

Paola Chapdelaine for BI When Zaire Wells's daughter was selected for a free childcare slot, it felt like the two-year-old "got into Harvard." NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani proposed free childcare for two-year-olds in his affordability-focused campaign.

In March, he announced that it would launch with 2,000 seats in a handful of communities selected for economic need and childcare demand .

Wells, a high school teacher, lives in one of the targeted areas.

After a five-minute online application back in June, she and her partner were now tearfully dropping off their daughter for her first day at a Friends of Crown Heights center in Brooklyn.

The family posed for pictures with a staged first-day backdrop, the two-year-old curiously examining her new surroundings.

Wells' Harvard comparison was apt: Lisa Joseph-Mayers, who works with families in the center, said the program received 339 applications for 12 slots.

That's a 3.5% acceptance rate; Harvard accepted 4.2% for the class of 2029.

At least two parents called during school drop-off to see if they could snag a seat, and were told that the program was full.

"It's going to be like that for the rest of the week," Joseph-Mayers said.

Since students with siblings already in the center were given preference, Joseph-Mayers said, some families claimed distant family connections to try to finagle a spot.

Business Insider wants to hear from parents with kids in 2-K, or care centers offering the program.

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The city has said that more than 5,700 applications were submitted for around 2,000 available seats.