The Brian Lehrer Show The Child Care Issue
May 30, 2025
Madina Touré, a New York education policy reporter for Politico New York, dives deep into the child care crisis influencing the mayoral primary race. She discusses how high child care costs are pushing families to reconsider living in the city. Touré breaks down candidates' proposals, including '2K for All,' and highlights the urgent need for better wages in the childcare sector. The conversation also addresses the critical role of infant care and its impact on family inequality, especially for families of color and immigrants.
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Child Care Costs Drive NYC Families Away
- Child care is the second largest expense for working-class families after housing in NYC.
- Families with young children are twice as likely to leave NYC due to high child care costs.
Two Camps in Child Care Proposals
- Mayoral candidates divide on child care: some focus on universal early childhood care, others on afterschool programs.
- Universal programs cover kids from six months to five years old, while others emphasize extended care after school for working parents.
Mamdani's Free Child Care Proposal
- Zoran Mamdani proposes free child care for kids aged six weeks to five years and boosting child care worker wages.
- His plan includes $5 billion in city funding plus state and federal dollars, funded by taxes on wealthy New Yorkers.