Dear New York City Mayoral Candidates:
Wherever you look, it’s clear affordability is the issue of the day – and child care is the linchpin of affordability. So if you care about affordability, you have to put child care first. Period.
Right now, NYC families are being priced out of raising their children here. Katelyn, a mother in Jackson Heights, and her husband paid more than their mortgage last year for child care for her two-year-old daughter. She admits they have put off having a second child, and they may have to leave the city due to the crushing cost of parenthood. Kate, a communications executive, pays over $3,000 a month for child care — more than her NYC rent.
These parents aren’t alone. Families in New York City spend an average of $26,000 per child each year on child care, with costs reaching as high as $40,000. That’s more than rent, more than in-state college tuition, and far out of reach for most families.
But this isn’t just a parent issue. Without child care, working families can’t work. And without working families, our businesses and economy don’t work. It’s no surprise that families with young kids leave the city at twice the rate as families without them. In 2022 alone, our city lost an estimated $23 billion due to parents cutting their work hours or moving out of NYC because of care costs. That’s more than the MTA spent running its entire system that year.
Child care is the single most powerful lever we can pull to make this city livable for working families. New York City has already shown the nation what’s possible with universal Pre-K and 3-K. The next chapter of child care should include expanding access for younger kids, supporting our care workforce, and building a universal system that reaches all families — not just the lucky few.
We demand that the next Mayor of New York City take action to make child care more affordable and accessible within their first 100 days in office. Let’s make New York City a city where every family can thrive.