By Chris Talgo
For someone who grew up watching the mellow Mister Rogers, I am not a fan of Ms. Rachel’s hyper, loud, fast-paced, spellbinding style. Frankly, I find it overstimulating and nauseating.
I also take umbrage with Ms. Rachel’s proclivity to insert her radical political views upon susceptible young kids, something Mister Rogers never did.
Despite my misgivings, Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, is a YouTube star in the child education/entertainment realm. She has more than 14 million subscribers and more than one billion views. She also has a huge following on TikTok and other social media platforms.
Recently, Ms. Rachel joined forces with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to bring universal childcare to the Big Apple and beyond.
Shortly after being named to Mamdani’s inaugural committee late last year, Griffin Accurso said, “Affordable, accessible, high-quality childcare deserves bipartisan support nationwide, and I’m so glad our city will be prioritizing it with Zohran as mayor.”
In his inauguration speech on January 1, Mamdani clearly stated his intention to “deliver universal childcare for the many by taxing the wealthiest few.”
Less than two weeks later, Mamdani and Ms. Rachel were at a Lower Manhattan school singing songs while announcing a new program to “achieve universal care and ultimately, serve all families across the city.”
“Giving makes us so happy, and giving childcare makes everyone really happy in the city,” Ms. Rachel said before breaking into “If You’re Happy and You Know it.”
According to a press release, the new program will “deliver free childcare for two-year-olds in New York City, in addition to strengthening the existing 3K program to achieve universal care and ultimately, serve all families across the city.”
Unsurprisingly, Mamdani underscored that this is just the first step and reiterated that he is “committed” to “universal childcare.”
Even more unsurprising is the fact that the new program will cost a lot of money. This year, New York will spend $4.5 billion on childcare programs. Based on one estimate, providing universal childcare would cost the state about $15 billion.
It also must be noted that New York’s existing childcare programs have far exceeded their original budget estimates. So, take the $15 billion amount with a grain of salt.
Aside from the exorbitant cost, which is absurd given that New York has a $34.3 billion budget deficit, universal childcare is a dubious policy with socialist undertones.
READ MORE: Watch: Mamdani's Chilling Inaugural Remarks Are a Harbinger of Trouble to Come
Generally, advocates for universal childcare say it is good policy because it frees women to pursue career opportunities, boosts the economy, and helps children develop social skills.
However, there are also many downsides that are too often ignored.
An analysis of Quebec’s universal childcare program found “a large, significant, negative shock to the preschool, noncognitive development and health of children exposed to the new program, with little measured impact on cognitive skills.”
Even worse, the study found that kids in the program developed “increases in early childhood anxiety and aggression.”
Another study, which analyzed “programs in Chile, Germany, Norway, Quebec, and the United States,” found “more time spent in childcare was associated with lower social competence and poorer academic work habits” along with “more conflicted relationships with teachers and mothers.”
This does not mean that government-run childcare is inherently bad. However, it does comport with the commonsense position that babies and toddlers are best off when they are raised by their parents instead of strangers.
Nevertheless, at its core, socialism rejects this family-first philosophy.
In The Communist Manifesto, Marx and Engels specifically called for the “abolition” of the nuclear family. Throughout history, socialist governments have taken drastic measures to undermine the family unit.
Why do socialists seek to undercut the family? The answer is simple: Socialists want the government to replace the family.
Chris Talgo ([email protected]) is editorial director at The Heartland Institute.
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