There is something so charming about watching former President Barack Obama and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani sit on the floor with preschoolers in the Bronx. 

Their first face-to-face meeting on Saturday, April 18, was also a policy moment centered on early childhood education, universal child care, and the future Mamdani says he wants to build for working families in New York City. 

The two leaders visited a South Bronx early childhood education center, where they read “Alone and Together” to toddlers and joined in singing “The Wheels on the Bus.” According to reports, the visit was light on the surface, but had real substance underneath, with Mamdani’s office saying the pair discussed his vision for the city and the importance of giving children the strongest possible start. 

Obama also made clear he was willing to be a sounding board for the 34-year-old mayor, who took office in January with a campaign focused on affordability and the needs of the city’s working class. The AP noted that the meeting was just after Mamdani marked his 100th day in office.

Mamdani continues to push universal child care as a cornerstone of his administration, while the city expands early childhood programs and adds new 3-K seats across New York. This week, the city’s own announcement said seven new early childhood education centers will open this fall, adding about 240 new 3-K seats.

It was sweet to see Obama and Mamdani singing with little ones in the Bronx. But it was also a reminder that the fight for child care, affordability, and family support is not child's play.