Chicago talks a lot about affordability. But for families with young kids, there is one cost that overwhelms almost everything else — child care.

I know this firsthand. Like so many parents in this city, my family has paid day care bills that rival a mortgage payment. Every month, those costs force real tradeoffs: savings or stability, career decisions or family needs, staying in the city we love or quietly wondering how long we can make it work.

That’s why Chicago should move toward universal child care.

Not as a slogan. Not as a political talking point. But as a practical, serious way to support working families — and to make affordability something people actually feel in their daily lives.

Other cities are beginning to recognize this reality. In New York, state and city leaders have committed to expanding child care access by publicly funding care for young children, starting with 2-year-olds and building toward a broader universal system. Their logic is simple. The cost of doing nothing — parents leaving the workforce, families leaving the city, kids starting school behind — is greater than the cost of investing early.

Chicago has already shown that it understands this principle. Under Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the city made a sustained push to expand access to full-day and universal pre-K for 4-year-olds. That effort helped thousands of children get a stronger start and gave working parents meaningful relief. It was the right move — and it worked.

Universal child care is the next step in that same evolution.

This isn’t about telling parents how to raise their kids. It’s about recognizing economic reality. In today’s Chicago, most households rely on two working parents. Yet child care costs have risen far faster than wages, putting enormous pressure on families who are doing everything right and still falling behind.

If we are serious about keeping families in Chicago — not just attracting young professionals, but helping people stay when they start raising kids — this is where affordability stops being a buzzword and becomes real.

Yes, funding universal child care will be hard. It will require clear priorities, tough budget decisions and real partnership with the state. But difficulty isn’t an excuse for avoidance.

Chicago already makes choices every year about what matters. We invest billions through our budget, tax structures and development incentives. The real question isn’t whether we have resources — it’s whether we are willing to prioritize working families as part of the city’s long-term strength.

Universal child care is not a handout. It’s an investment in people who want to work, contribute and build a life here. When parents can afford care, they stay in the workforce, advance in their careers and generate real economic returns for the city — from property taxes to stronger local businesses and more stable neighborhood economies. Employers benefit from a more stable workforce. Children benefit from early learning that sets them up for success long before they enter a classroom.

And the city benefits from families who can plan their future here — instead of constantly wondering when they’ll be forced to leave.

Too often, Chicago responds to affordability with temporary fixes that don’t match the scale of the challenge. Universal child care would be different. It would be a structural commitment to the idea that this city works best when working families can thrive.

Chicago has always been strongest when it invests in the foundations of a good life: education, opportunity and stability. Universal child care belongs squarely in that tradition.

If we want Chicago to remain a city where families can put down roots — not just get started but stay — then this is a conversation we can’t keep postponing.

Affordability becomes real when families feel it every month. Universal child care is how Chicago gets there.

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Liam Stanton is a lifelong Chicagoan, entrepreneur and founder of The Chicago Style Project, a neighborhood advocacy group focused on bold, practical solutions for Chicago’s biggest challenges.

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