The popular children's YouTuber Rachel Accurso has spent over $22,000 backing Democratic and progressive candidates since 2024, while her toddler-facing brand has expanded into Netflix, Penguin Random House and the toy aisles of Target.
asserted
brand → spend → Target
Better known as "Ms. Rachel," the online star has cemented herself as the face of a multimillion-dollar children’s entertainment empire.
asserted
star → know → empire
The former New York City preschool educator, who sings nursery rhymes and teaches language to more than 21 million YouTube subscribers, has also become one of the most politically outspoken figures in her arena, drawing scrutiny for her positions on the Israel-Hamas war, racial issues and various Trump administration immigration policies.
asserted
who → sing → war
"Ms. Rachel is a children's entertainer, a personality that spawned from the YouTube ecosystem and has now become a fixture alongside other big preschool brands like Sesame Street or Bluey or Cocomelon," James Zahn, editor-in-chief of "The Toy Book," told Fox News Digital.
asserted
Zahn → spawn → Digital
"For families that have ‘littles,’ as she would say, she's a part of daily life at this point," he added.
asserted
he → have → point
Accurso, 43, launched her YouTube channel in 2019 after finding few media resources for her son, who had a speech delay as a toddler.
asserted
who → launch → toddler
Her channel quickly surged in popularity, leading her to create "Songs for Littles," a recurring series in which Accurso — clad in her signature pink shirt, overalls and headband — performs a mix of classic and original children's songs for infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
asserted
Accurso → surge → infants
Her rise to fame has made her one of the most commercially significant figures in American children’s media — and, at the same time, one of the most politically outspoken.
asserted
her → make → outspoken
According to federal records, Accurso has donated roughly $22,500 to various Democratic and progressive candidates since 2024, and has made headlines for her outspoken stances on the Israel-Hamas war and other politically charged topics.
uncertain
Accurso → accord → war
Accurso has managed to secure deals with Netflix, Penguin Random House Books and Spin Master Toys.
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Accurso → manage → Netflix
"These companies look at it as: if an entertainer doesn't blur real life into the content, that tends to make things a little bit safer," Zahn said.
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Zahn → look → content
Earlier this year, Spin Master debuted a line of toys in collaboration with Accurso — marking yet another feather in her cap as her brand hit the shelves of big-box stores such as Target and Amazon.
asserted
brand → debut → Target
"In the years leading up to the announcement of Ms. Rachel's toy deal with Spin Master, there was a bidding war," Zahn said.
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Zahn → lead → Master
"So toy and game makers knew that she was a personality with a ton of reach that was worth talking to."
asserted
that → know → reach
"I distinctly remember at Toy Fair New York knowing that Ms. Rachel was in the building — not in character, but she was taking meetings," he continued.
asserted
he → remember → meetings
"And eventually the question became, within the industry: who is going to get the Ms. Rachel toys?"
asserted
who → become → toys
The line features a variety of toys geared toward both learning and entertainment, with Ms. Rachel personified as a toy-version of herself in several sets.
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Rachel → feature → sets
Her reach has also spread from the online ecosystem into both mainstream and print media after she landed partnerships with Netflix in 2025 and book publisher Penguin Random House in 2024.
asserted
she → spread → 2024
"The Ms. Rachel deal with Netflix brings her show to kids who may not otherwise have access to it," Zahn said.
uncertain
Zahn → bring → it
"Even though we're in such a screen-heavy world, not every family allows their kids to operate on YouTube.
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kids → allow → YouTube
"
"When we think of media, and we think how digital it is, the analog basis — especially for the younger kids — is very, very key," he added, referring to Accurso’s line of children’s books.
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he → think → books
The multi-pronged licensing approach to Accurso’s brand marks a significant — and somewhat unprecedented — shift in children’s entertainment, in which influencers reign in spaces traditionally reserved for mainstream media.
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influencers → mark → media
"Today's children, even from the youngest ages, don't just want to watch a television program," David Kleeman, senior vice president of global trends for Dubit, told Fox News Digital.
asserted
Kleeman → want → Digital
"They want to be part of the media that they consume.
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they → want → that
They want to play with it.
asserted
They → want → it
They want to act it out.
asserted
They → want → it
They want to wear the clothing.
asserted
They → want → clothing
As Accurso’s persona continues to reach into every aspect of a child’s life — from the shows they watch to the toys they play with — Kleeman emphasizes the need for the individual behind the brand to maintain a level of trust with the parents choosing to keep her content in the hands of their children.
"
asserted
parents → continue → children
Parents have always looked to media as a support for what they’re doing with their kids," Kleeman said.
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Kleeman → look → kids
"We tell parents, ‘You’re your child’s first teacher.’
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You → tell → parents
That petrifies a lot of parents, so [they] look for ways to supplement what [they’re] able to do for your child.
asserted
they → petrify → child
However, Accurso’s public politics have made her children’s education brand synonymous with hot-button political issues, such as the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and tensions surrounding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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brand → make → Immigration
She's also put some money behind prominent Democrats.
asserted
She → put → Democrats
In 2024, the day after then-President Joe Biden dropped out of the ongoing election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his Democratic successor, Accurso donated $250 to the Harris Victory Fund.
asserted
Accurso → drop → Fund
In the days following, she contributed an additional $750 in funds to Harris for President and the Harris Victory Fund, according to Federal Election Commission records.
uncertain
she → follow → records
By September 2024, Accurso had shelled out an additional $2,000 in donations to Harris’ campaign — bringing the total to $3,000 in campaign contributions, records show.
asserted
records → shell → contributions
One year later, Accurso made a $5,000 donation to Cameron Kasky’s New York congressional campaign, according to NYC Campaign Finance Board records obtained by Fox News Digital.
uncertain
Accurso → make → Digital
She was issued a $1,500 refund from Kasky’s campaign on the same day.
asserted
She → issue → day
Kasky — a survivor of the 2018 high school mass shooting in Parkland, Florida — ran on a platform centered around abolishing ICE, ending military funding to Israel and stricter gun-violence laws.
asserted
Kasky → run → Israel
He ultimately dropped out of the race in January 2026 following a trip to the West Bank, in which he cited a new focus on stopping "settler violence" in the region, according to an X post.
uncertain
he → drop → post
…and 21 more, not listed.
The Aporia
