Brian Lerer on WNYC, early voting in New York's Democratic mayoral primary is set to begin in just 15 days, Saturday, June 14th.

Some mail and ballots are already in people's hands,

and they can vote today. As you contemplate your ranked choice voting strategy among this

fast field, if you are a registered Democrat in New York City, we'll be covering where these

mayoral candidates stand on some of the most pressing issues in this year's race. And remember, we're only doing this for the Democratic primary, because there only is a Democratic primary. Curtis Slewa is the apparent nominee for the Republican Party, and we'll talk more about him in the general election season. Today, we'll look at each candidate's pitch to voters on child care in the primary, one of the

larger costs. People say the second largest cost after housing that working class families endure

in the city. According to the Fiscal Policy Institute think tank, families with young children

are twice as likely to leave New York City as those without them.

And this makes sense, right, given the average estimated cost of child care for infants and

toddlers, according to FBI, is between $18,000 and $26,000 a year.

The candidates have a vast range of solutions to the balloon and cost of caring

for children in the city. Some are looking at the years before kids enter into formal education,

while others are focused on after-school programs to help parents fill the gap between the last

school bell and the end of the workday for

children of those ages. So joining me now to parse through these child care proposals is Medina

Toure, New York Education Policy and Politics Reporter for Politico, New York. Medina, many thanks

for coming on with us today. Hi. Thank you for having me, Brian. Hi.

And listeners, you're invited to as you hear what these mayoral candidates have to offer.

We want to know what are your child care needs and how much are you prioritizing child care as you

consider who to rank first, second, third, and so on,

has the cost of caring for your children led you to contemplate a move out of New York City, for that matter?

If so, would any of these plans alleviate your financial woes and change that plan or your consideration of that plan?

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