by Tyler Rosen
On January 8th, the Democratic Socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York State Governor Kathy Hochul won a huge political victory when they announced that free childcare in New York City will be provided for 2 year olds, expanding the city’s existing universal pre-k and 3-k schooling. Additionally, Hochul kicked off a historic program to provide affordable childcare universally to New York State residents.
Mamdani stated, “”if we want people to believe in our democracy, we have to show them that our democracy can actually deliver for them.”
The NYS universal childcare program, which has already received $8.6 billion in funding, doubles subsidy vouchers to eligible families by increasing the maximum annual household income for a family of four from $64,000 to $114,000.The program also caps childcare costs for eligible families to $15 per week.1
For virtually all of the working class, having stay-at-home parents to raise children full time is not feasible as the loss of a source of income can break the family’s finances. At the same time, the median cost of childcare in the US in 2022 was $15,600.2 That is $1300 per month. To put this into perspective, the cost of childcare amounts to one-fifth of a household’s income.
Along with costs of housing and utilities, exorbitant healthcare costs, and the cost to feed the family, it is no wonder so many working class families are plunged into poverty.
Social programs like the universal childcare program help free up time and reduce stressors for the working class that is already squeezed tight by their bosses.
While accessible childcare should be a given as a foundation for a wealthy society like the United States, the launching of this program is nonetheless welcomed as a step in the right direction. Universal childcare must continue to spread to the whole of the United States.
