City Hall scrambled this week to reassure parents that their kids would receive a spot in a popular free 3K program, even though some had received notifications that no space was available at any of their chosen locations.

The education department insisted the number of families told Thursday they had not received offers for 3K programs was only 6% of around 43,000 applicants – or about 2,500 families, and the city later said all students who applied would be placed. But the flub follows years of uncertainty about Mayor Eric Adams’ commitment to early childhood education and the confusion was fodder for Adams’ critics who say he is failing to address the city’s affordability crisis.

Soon after taking office, Adams paused a planned expansion of 3K, citing expiring federal funds and mismanagement of the program. His proposed budget for the coming fiscal year, which is being negotiated with the City Council, includes a $170 million cut to early childhood programs, many of which have shown to be effective in improving educational outcomes for city students.

Susie Lyons, a single mom in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, cried as she explained that she’d been counting on sending her 2-year-old daughter to a free program this fall while she cares for her newborn.

“Free 3K has been a big part of how I defend my decision to stay and raise my kids here,” she said, adding that she was relieved when she heard Adams promise a slot for every applicant. “So I don’t understand how my child and more than half of her friends didn’t get in anywhere.”

Upper East Side resident Diana Sidakis said she and almost all of her neighbors did not get spots in 3K. Sidakis was waitlisted at all 12 of her choices, including those several miles away.

“It’s very upsetting, especially when families have made decisions relying on what elected leaders have said,” she said.

Sidakis, a public defender, was now looking at 3K providers that charge $25,000 to $40,000 a year. She said she has considered quitting her job because childcare is so expensive.

The notifications sent to Sidakis and Lyons, like others who spoke to Gothamist, read “Unfortunately, we are unable to offer your child a 3-K seat at this time, because there were more applicants than seats available at the program you listed on your child’s application.”

The notification stated that the child would be put on a waitlist for those programs. But some of the lists viewed by Gothamist showed more than 100 kids waiting for a vacancy in a single program.

City Hall spokesperson Amaris Cockfield said there were 43,000 applications for 3K and 52,000 open seats, meaning every kid can get a spot.

“The mayor was clear: Every child who wants a seat will have access to a seat and he will keep his word,” Cockfield said in a statement released late Thursday. “The guidance sent to a limited number of families by New York City Public Schools, unfortunately, did not fully convey all the seats still available to New York City students. NYCPS is sending an updated letter that will make perfectly clear that there are approximately 9,000 seats still open for 3-K.”

But it wasn’t clear if those open seats were near the homes of families who received rejection letters. Gothamist has previously reported on data showing a glut of open seats in certain parts of the city, while supply doesn’t meet demand in others.

City officials said they have already shifted some 7,000 seats to better meet families’ needs.

“We will work with each family who has not received an offer to any of their choices to find the nearest location with available seats that works best for them,” Cockfield said.

Free universal pre-K was the signature achievement of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration. The program was popular, and he expanded it to include 3-year-olds. But the Adams administration has said the 3K program was a mess. There was a mismatch of supply and demand, leaving some neighborhoods oversaturated and others underserved. The de Blasio administration’s expansion plans relied on federal stimulus money, which is expiring.

“[There were] tremendous challenges we inherited but we are absolutely on the right track,” Schools Chancellor David Banks said at an education budget hearing earlier this week.

Adams also recently shifted some city funding to early education to help close the gap left by the expiring federal funds. The move came amid growing advocacy criticizing Adams for not investing in early childhood education. Research has shown that the cost of childcare is a major reason why families – particularly young families of color – leave the city.

“The impact cannot be understated: without free 3-K, childcare costs families an average of $20,000 a year per kid, with many spending more — a cost far too many families cannot afford,” Rebecca Bailin, of New Yorkers United for Child Care, said in a statement. “Now, New Yorkers who are already facing a skyrocketing cost of living must decide whether to leave work and stay home with their child, drain their savings, or potentially leave the city altogether.”

Other advocates said there’s no way Adams can implement his proposed cuts to the early child education budget without affecting 3K.

“There are these budget cuts happening but the mayor says everyone is going to get a seat. In what fantasy world is that happening?” said Nora Moran, policy director at United Neighborhood Houses, which advocates for early childhood education providers that frequently say they are struggling to stay in business.

Adams’ stance on early childhood education will likely be an issue as he runs for a second term next year.

State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, established an exploratory committee ahead of an expected mayoral bid, pounded on the 3K rejections.

“New Yorkers deserve a well-run city where we can afford to raise our families — and that includes giving families the 3-K seats they were promised,” he tweeted on X. “For too many families, this administration simply isn’t working — that’s why I’m exploring a run for Mayor in 2025.”

Brooklyn resident Beth Rowe said her group chats lit up yesterday when the 3K offers went out.

She was in therapy when she got the notice showing her child had scored a seat in her first choice for 3K. Nonetheless, the anxiety of the process provided plenty of fodder for her session.

“It was a major stressor,” she said, adding that few of her friends weren’t so fortunate. “I feel very very lucky.”