NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is not waiting to be sworn in to begin his work running the city.

On Thursday, Mamdani spent time with kids at Little Scholars Childcare Center in Chelsea.

He read to the children and reporters asked him questions about one of his top campaign promises: universal child care.

His plan calls for the city to provide free child care for those aged 6 weeks to 5 years old, saying it not only makes moral but economic sense.

"In 2022 alone, our city lost an estimated $23 billion in economic activity because parents had to leave jobs or reduce their hours to care for their children," Mamdani said.

All of this comes with a steep price tag that his camp estimates between $5 billion and $8 billion annually.

While Gov. Kathy Hochul has

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