Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine unveiled his “Roadmap to Universal Child Care” on Thursday, a proposal aimed at expanding free child care options to more families across New York City.

The plan would extend the city’s 3K and Pre-K programs to what Levine calls “Universal Through 2,” covering children as young as six weeks old. The initiative also includes a Newborn Support Program, providing financial assistance to families with young children.

“This would benefit both families and child care providers,” Levine said during an interview on “Mornings On 1.” “It gives them the opportunity to blend infant care with care of older children to balance costs and retain families as the children age.”

Levine, a Democratic candidate for the city’s comptroller, cited a significant affordability crisis in child care as a driving force behind his proposal.

“We have a terrible affordability crisis in New York City,” he said. “Typically, we talk about rent and housing as being a huge challenge there, but the number two challenge for families with young kids is, without a doubt, child care. And my office did an analysis—we found that 80% of families with young kids in New York City can't afford child care at current rates. This is a hardship that often leads parents to leave the workforce, to stay home to provide care, which is a loss for our economy.”

Levine said the economic impact of families leaving the workforce because of child care costs is significant, citing a study by the city’s Economic Development Corporation.

“There’s a $23 billion impact from people who are out of the workforce providing child care, and specifically, a $2 billion loss in tax revenue,” he said. “If we can give those families a chance to get back into the workforce, that will pay for the cost of the program.”