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.
Better known as “Ms. Rachel,” the online star has cemented herself as the face of a multimillion-dollar childrens entertainment empire. The former 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 immigration policies.
“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 .
“For families that have littles, as she would say, she’s a part of daily life at this point,” he added.
Accurso, 43, launched her YouTube channel in 2019 after finding few media resources for her son, who had a speech delay as a toddler.
Her channel quickly surged in popularity, leading her to create “Songs for Littles,” a recurring series in which Accurso â clad in her signature pink shirt, overalls and headband â performs a mix of classic and original children’s songs for infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
Her rise to fame has made her one of the most commercially significant figures in American childrens media â and, at the same time, one of the most politically 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.
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Accurso has managed to secure deals with Netflix, Penguin Random House Books and Spin Master Toys.
“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.
Earlier this year, Spin Master debuted a line of toys in collaboration with Accurso â marking yet another feather in her cap as her brand hit the shelves of big-box stores such as Target and Amazon.
“In the years leading up to the announcement of Ms. Rachel’s toy deal with Spin Master, there was a bidding war,” Zahn said. “So toy and game makers knew that she was a personality with a ton of reach that was worth talking to.”
“I distinctly remember at Toy Fair New York knowing that Ms. Rachel was in the building â not in character, but she was taking meetings,” he continued. “And eventually the question became, within the industry: who is going to get the Ms. Rachel 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.
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.
“The Ms. Rachel deal with Netflix brings her show to kids who may not otherwise have access to it,” Zahn said. “Even though
