Preschoolers with disabilities in New York City will gain access to an unprecedented set of programs and services thanks to a major expansion in special education announced Tuesday by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York City Public Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels, marking an unprecedented investment in special education for preschoolers.

The nation’s largest school system is investing $67.5 million in special education for preschoolers as families across the country fear the needs of their children with disabilities will go unmet amid the federal Department of Education’s continued dismantling.

In New York City, young learners will be able to participate in three programs designed specifically for students with autism that were previously only available to K-12 students. They will also have access to initiatives for students with emotional disabilities or in need of adapted academics and life-skills training. The programs will be available starting in the fall in 14 of the city’s 32 community school districts. The majority of them are located in areas with some of the highest concentrations of working-class and immigrant families in the city.

“Children with disabilities should not be forced to travel across the city just to get the education they deserve,” Mamdani said in a statement. “That’s why we’re bringing those classrooms closer to home and taking another critical step toward making Pre-K truly universal. Every child deserves to learn and grow in their community, and every family deserves a public education system that meets them exactly where they are.”

The specificity of the investment in special education for preschoolers is unprecedented in New York City, where more than 200,000 students are eligible for special education services.

“For the first time, we’re giving young children with autism and other disabilities the same high-quality, specialized instruction that has delivered real results for our older students,” Samuels said in a statement. “This investment is about strengthening the foundation and when we get early childhood education right, we set children up for a lifetime of success.”

Read the full article about special education for preschoolers in New York City by Nadra Nittle at The 19th.