In a new opinion piece, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) come together to celebrate universal child care for what it truly is - a transformative investment in working people and the broader economy.
Writing for USA TODAY, Mayor Mamdani and Senator Warren break down how guaranteeing free and high-quality child care would not only ease the crushing financial burden on families, but also expand workforce participation, support early childhood development, reduce inequities and strengthen long-term economic growth.
"If we want to protect the American dream, we begin with childcare. Affordable childcare means parents are no longer forced to choose between raising their children and keeping their jobs. It means better outcomes for kids. And frankly, for all of us."
The piece coincides with recent and historic steps by the Mamdani administration to deliver universal child care for New York City families. In the past month, Mayor Mamdani has announced more than 1,000 new 3-K seats in neighborhoods with high demand and launched 2,000 free 2-K seats in four communities across the city, made possible by a $1.2 billion investment by Governor Hochul on just day eight of his mayoral administration.
In case you missed it, read the full USA TODAY piece below:
Mayor Mamdani, Sen. Warren: Everyone benefits from universal childcare
March 19, 2026
The two of us live very different lives. One of us is a grandmother to three exceptional grandchildren. The other receives near-daily phone calls from his mother asking when the grandchildren will arrive.
And yet, despite those differences, we share a simple conviction: Every family in New York City ‒ and in America ‒ has a right to childcare.
In January, New York City announced a historic new investment in universal childcare. Through a partnership struck between City Hall and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, free, universal childcare will soon be expanded to every 2- and 3-year-old across the five boroughs.
Even for a city that constantly reinvents itself, this is a seismic shift.
Universal childcare can restore workforce, jump-starting the economy
It will be felt in the lives of children who grow up happier and healthier. Kids who attend preschool are nearly 6% more likely to attend college. It will also be felt by families who suddenly have an additional $20,000 or more per year, per child, in their pockets.
And it will be felt when our economy is energized by parents who can stay in their jobs, by businesses that can attract and retain top talent who might otherwise be priced out of this city, and by an increase in economic activity to the tune of tens of billions of dollars.
The case for universal childcare is overwhelming. It's the kind of investment Wall Street would tout: Every dollar spent on early childhood care can return as much as $13. It restores the workforce. After Quebec introduced universal childcare, women's participation in the workforce increased by 16 percentage points.
It also addresses one of the greatest threats to our economy: families being pushed out of the places they call home.
Childcare isn't just care. It's basic infrastructure, as essential to a thriving society as roads, bridges and public transit ‒ the foundation upon which a vibrant, flourishing society can be built.
The change New York City will soon experience is already underway in New Mexico, which launched a groundbreaking universal childcare program in November. But this progress shouldn't be limited only to states that begin with the word "new." Every family ‒ from Alaska to Florida ‒ deserves the same opportunity.
If we want to protect the American dream, we begin with childcare.
Adults shouldn't have to choose between career and kids
Affordable childcare means parents are no longer forced to choose between raising their children and keeping their jobs. It means better outcomes for kids. And frankly, for all of us.
By committing to build childcare infrastructure, we also have an opportunity to invest in childcare workers and to ensure that they are paid commensurate with their training and experience.
Currently, these workers are caught in a squeeze because wages are inadequate but parents cannot afford to pay more. The result is that 60% of childcare centers are short-staffed.
We invest in firefighters and road maintenance crews by paying living wages; we should make the same investments in people who care for our babies. In fact, universal childcare may be one of the most powerful tools we have to make life more affordable for American families.
Affordability is a key midterm elections issue
As the Democratic Party heads into the November elections, before gearing up for a historic presidential contest in 2028, we should build our platform around policies that are both incredibly popular across party lines and materially improve working people's lives.
Americans have been clear about their biggest concern: affordability.
Universal childcare answers that concern directly. For decades, the Republican Party has championed a trickle-down economic theory that enriches billionaires, deepens inequality, drives up inflation and leaves working families in the dirt. It's time for a different approach, one that puts a dignified life within reach by investing public dollars to improve the lives of working people.
When President Franklin D. Roosevelt enacted the New Deal, government made people's lives better. When President Lyndon B. Johnson pursued the Great Society, government made people's lives better.
When New York City delivers free, universal childcare, government will once again make people's lives better.
However, when the government hands out more tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires, it improves life for only a handful of the richest people in this country ‒ while making life harder for millions more.
We should not have to dust off history books to find examples of the Democratic Party leading with courage and ambition. With universal childcare, we can transform our economy, transform the lives of parents and children, and transform how Americans see government.
We're in the fight to get it done.
Zohran Mamdani is the mayor of New York City. Elizabeth Warren is the senior U.S. senator from Massachusetts.
