As a parent with a small toddler that he has shared in caring for through the pandemic, Ben knows first hand, how important child care is. Before the pandemic, Ben saw how important child care was to our daughters development, from social learning, to the alphabet, and even behavior, she got so much out of it. However, child care costs start around $30,000 on the Upper East Side, which is more than many New Yorkers make in a year, forcing families to choose between carriers or staying home to do their best or in our case going into debt. The federal government already offers subsidies for child care, including pre-kindergarten for 3 and 4 year-olds, that could also cover children starting at birth. As a Council Member and the next Manhattan Borough President Ben will continue to fight for universal child care.