Imagine brings employee-owned model to a first-of-its-kind New York City child care partnership, prioritizing families and educators

Imagine Early Learning Centers, the nation’s only multi-site, 100% employee-owned early childhood education company, announced the opening of The Little Apple, a free child care center for municipal employees and their families, in partnership with the City of New York and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS).

A Child Care Model That Invests in the People Providing the Care

At The Little Apple, educators welcoming children are not simply employees. Through Imagine’s employee-ownership model, they have both a financial stake and a say in how the company is run, from parent engagement and classroom setup to participation in the boardroom.

Imagine’s employee-ownership model is founded on a simple belief: the quality of child care is a direct result of the quality of the employee experience. Happy educators and caregivers mean happy children and families.

A Partnership Built for New York City Families

For New York City employees, The Little Apple offers something increasingly difficult to find: high-quality child care that is accessible, reliable, and integrated into the workday. Located at 1 Centre Street and provided at no cost to participating families, the pilot addresses two significant barriers for parents: cost and proximity.

For Imagine, the significance of the partnership extends beyond the children who will initially attend The Little Apple. It is an opportunity to demonstrate how employee-ownership can strengthen the child care system for everyone.

“Imagine believes that we can change the paradigm of early childhood education - an industry constantly plagued by crises and underinvestment - by putting educators at the center of the model,” said Laura Tulchin, CEO of Imagine Early Learning Centers. “We’re thrilled to see the City of New York share that vision, recognizing that building a stronger child care system means not only considering families, but the educators who make exceptional care possible. The Little Apple is an exciting opportunity to show what public investment and worker-centered practices can do to the industry. We are honored to be part of the team bringing it to life.”

About Imagine Early Learning Centers

Imagine has more than 25 years of experience providing high-quality early childhood education across the New York metropolitan area. The nation’s only multi-site, 100% employee-owned early childhood education company, Imagine operates 14 centers, including programs developed in partnership with public agencies, universities, and major institutions.

Imagine believes that empowering educators and delivering exceptional early childhood education are inseparable: invested educators build stronger classrooms, stronger communities, and better experiences for children and families.

About The Little Apple

The Little Apple is the City’s first free, full-day, full-year, on-site child care pilot for municipal employees. The center will serve approximately 40 children from six weeks to three years old, bringing quality early childhood education directly to where City employees work.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260908691932/en/

"Imagine believes empowering workers through an employee-ownership model will change the child care industry. We’re thrilled to see the City of New York share our vision that great child care starts with great educators." - Laura Tulchin, CEO of Imagine