America’s Democratic Socialists are demanding full-day, state-level “free pre-teen care for all” — with taxpayers footing the $13 billion annual tab, The Post has learned.
The universal child care system the party wants goes far beyond what Mayor Zahran Mamdani has called for, serving children ages six weeks to 12 years, Brooklyn State Sen. Jabari Brisport told colleagues during a “Tax the Rich” conference in New York City last week.
Mamdani chart It calls for free universal childcare for children from six weeks to 5 years old.
Brisport estimated the massive proposal would cost $8 billion to $13 billion annually — double or triple the $4.5 billion Gov. Kathy Hochul has allocated to fund free child care statewide in the next fiscal year.
The city already provides free child care and preschool from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for 3- and 4-year-olds through the 3K and Pre-K programs, but DSA wants a “truly universal system” that extends during regular business hours to help working parents, Brisport insisted.
“It’s a full day,” he said. “It doesn’t end in the middle of the day when you’re still at work, and… it includes a minimum of $1.2 billion to start increasing wages for child care workers.”
Brisport did not say where this huge sum would come from.
Critics like Assemblywoman Joan Arriola (R-Queens) said the digital services law should confuse cash-strapped New Yorkers about ATMs.
“Our taxpayers are already burdened enough, and now the Department of Social Affairs wants to essentially double the deficit, so they can start extracurricular indoctrination of the next generation right from the womb through middle school,” she said.
“This is ridiculous. Money doesn’t grow on trees, and New York City taxpayers should not have to bear this additional cost so that our children can be fed leftist propaganda right next to their bottles every morning.”
Mamdani wants the state to tax millionaires and corporations to fund his comprehensive childcare plan and other leftist pet projects, but Hochul has opposed the idea, suggesting instead tapping into existing revenues.
Hizzoner was vague on the details but said so The plan is inspired by the Quebec Plan.
The Canadian province offers parents low-cost child care of $9.35 per day for children from birth to age 12, including home care and after-school care.
The moderate Democratic governor and socialist Mamdani announced earlier this month that the state would provide $73 million to fund New York City’s first 2,000 free preschool seats for 2-year-olds starting this fall. This equates to $36,500 per seat – or 41% higher than the average annual cost of private child care in the city.
The state plans to pump in another $425 million in the fall of 2027 to fund 12,000 more 2K seats.
Brisport’s revelations about the welfare law’s true goals for free child care “should make clear that New York is a five-alarm disaster” with “socialists driving the policy,” said Doug Kellogg, director of state projects at the conservative group Americans for Tax Reform.
“Only a socialist could push to spend more than $8 billion on top of the billions Governor Hochul has already proposed to expand child care,” he said. “This is stacked [top of] Highest spending in the nation in New York per pupil for first through sixth graders.
“This is duplicative, wasteful, and offensive, and taxpayers cannot afford it. It is extreme socialist ideas like these that are fueling the slew of tax increases proposed in Albany, on everything from cryptocurrencies and gold to helicopter rides.”
The mayor’s office and governor’s office did not respond to messages.