Last month, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled a pilot program that would pay for one evening of child care per week, ostensibly so parents can go on a date, run errands, or simply get out of the house. The city has not said whether the initiative will remain a limited pilot or become a permanent taxpayer-funded service, but many are pointing out that taxpayers may be forced to cover far more than just the hourly wage of a babysitter.

Rafael Mangual, the Nick Ohnell Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of City Journal, argues that the program could leave taxpayers responsible not only for the direct costs of child-care, but also for the substantial liability that comes with the city’s program.

"I suspect that the price tag for this program, especially if it goes on for any significant period of time, won't stop at just the cost per child to babysit," Mangual said. "I think it's going to end up including the legal fees for the kids who are injured or perhaps worse. So, you know, I think that's just a major concern. It's a major liability that the city is inviting with very little upside, in my opinion, also that the mayor can say that he delivered something free, even though, again, taxpayers are ultimately on the hook for everything that the government does."

And that is before accounting for the administrative bureaucracy, worker screening and oversight, insurance, disputes, and legal exposure when something goes wrong. More fundamentally, it raises the same concern that shadows government-run schooling: once the state becomes a primary provider of child care, it gains more power to define what is in a child’s “best interest,” set the terms of care, and crowd out parental choice and private alternatives.

“Every parent knows that a few hours to yourself can feel like a luxury,” Mamdani said with the announcement of the pilot program. “It shouldn’t be. That's why we’re launching New York City’s first-ever Parents’ Night Out, so that parents can get a little time on their own to catch a movie, run errands or go on a date without worrying about who will take care of the kids — or how much it will cost. Making New York City more affordable isn’t just about lowering costs, it’s about giving people back their time. This administration is committed to making it easier to raise a family in the greatest city in the world.”

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This comes as Mamdani has vowed to make taxpayer-funded child care and pre-school a central part of his administration.