More parents in higher-income neighborhoods in or near Manhattan prefer formal preschool programs for their 2-year-olds than parents in lower-income areas in the Bronx and parts of Queens.

Working parents need more childcare options on the weekends.

And most parents want to be the primary caregiver for their child in the first year.

These are some of the findings of a new citywide survey of families with young children released by the liberal think tank New America and the anti-poverty group Robin Hood, in partnership with the city. It offers a clearer picture of the kind of childcare options New York families want and how current arrangements are falling short. The Mamdani administration launched the survey earlier this year as part of its effort to build a universal childcare system.

The results signal demand for the city’s free 2-K program , but also shows those needs could be “uneven” as the city adds another 10,000 seats next fall. It also shows nearly half the parents surveyed are not getting the childcare they want — and that cost is the biggest hurdle .

“ The data from this survey has been absolutely critical in helping us…to think about how 2-K rollout may need to look different in different parts of the city based on families' preferences and their different childcare needs,” said Emmy Liss, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Child Care.