Bronx, NY — Andre Easton, father of three, is running for Congress in NY-15 to fight for universal childcare from birth through pre-K, fully funded by the federal government. That means safe, high-quality, community-run childcare centers on every block, staffed by educators earning a fair union wage. On August 17th, he issued the following statment:

“In the richest city on Earth, parents can't afford childcare, and the workers who provide it can't afford to live here. We have the resources to fully fund childcare. But that money goes to war and tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy—not working families.

“Bronx families spend more than 47% of their income on childcare. That's the highest share of any county in the United States. Home-based childcare providers in New York City earn a median wage of $6 an hour.

“We need people in office who will fight for a $30 minimum wage, the bare minimum needed to keep up with the cost of living in this city. We need people in office who will fight to use our tax dollars to fully fund childcare, free and universal for every parent.

“In the richest city in the richest country in the world, we have more than enough resources to prioritize what our families need.”