Workers, babies and electeds rally for universal child care outside Gov. Hochul’s office

Unionized workers, advocates, elected officials and babies rallied for universal child care outside Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office in Midtown on Dec. 11, urging the governor to follow through on her goal to put New York on a path to universal child care statewide.

Nonprofit organization New Yorkers United for Child Care and the union UAW Region 9A – which covers more than 30 United Auto Workers locals in eastern New York – teamed up to kick off a statewide campaign for the policy.

UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla said that now is the time for the governor to work alongside his organization to make universal child care a reality.

“We can afford [universal child care] in a city, in a state where so few have so much, and the vast majority of us have so little,” Mancilla told the crowd. “What we cannot afford in New York is to let yet another young family leave the city and leave New York State.”

Jane Fox, a parent, chair of the Legal Aid Attorneys Unit at UAW Local 2325 and a leader on the UAW Political Councils for New York City and State, said that, after living in the city for almost 20 years, the cost of child care forced her family to leave, saying that child care was their biggest expense, more than rent, groceries and student loans.

She added that the cost of child care is unacceptable and that it should be unacceptable to every elected official in the state.

“Without universal pre-K, we would have left New York State entirely,” Fox said. “I am not unique, I’m average. I did what too many parents are forced to do every day because we cannot afford to live and work and care for our children in the five boroughs.”

'Voters will hold her accountable'

New Yorkers United for Child Care specifically called on Hochul to invest in child care for 2-year-olds in New York City, implement a statewide 3-K and pre-K guarantee and raise sustainable funds for universal child care for zero to 5-year-olds across New York.

While New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist who made affordability central to his campaign, and Hochul both agree on the need for universal child care, the governor has not echoed Mamdani’s calls to raise taxes for expansive social programs since Mamdani won the election for mayor in November.

It’s unclear how Hochul wants to fund her goal to put New York on a path to universal child care.

Stephanie Park, a parent and leader in Park Slope for New Yorkers United for Child Care, told The Chief that it’s Hochul’s job to deliver on her promises and that it’s up to the governor to figure out how to fund the policy.

“If (Hochul) says that she can do it without raising taxes, then that’s on her,” Park said about implementing universal child care. “But the expectation is that this is a program that will be rolled out across the city, across the state and hopefully voters will hold her accountable.”

Hochul’s hesitance to raise taxes is at odds with many of her Democratic colleagues in Albany. Numerous state lawmakers at the rally outside the governor’s Midtown office shouted chants to do what Hochul has refused. 

Assemblymember Claire Valdez, who represents the 37th Assembly District in Queens, said she recently met with the governor and that Hochul expressed a willingness to work with Valdez and her colleagues on universal child care, but Hochul was less excited about the topic of taxing the rich. Still, Valdez said the goal of organizing is to hold elected officials accountable and ensure they know what voters want.

Jabari Brisport, a state senator who represents the 25th District in Brooklyn, is the chair of the Committee on Children and Families and said universal child care should be free for all parents and that child care workers should earn livable wages. 

“We need to invest billions of dollars to get universal child care. It is worth every penny,” Brisport said to cheers from the crowd. “We’re going to get it by taxing the rich and we’re going to win it with this incredible coalition and all the people fighting for universal child care in 2026.”