Ms. Rachel Defends Her Right to Speak on Politics: ‘People Who Care About Kids Should Have a Say’

Ms. Rachel is standing her ground. The beloved children’s entertainer, 43, defended her right to speak out on political issues affecting children — and she brought receipts.

“Hi! I have two master’s degrees in education & 20 years experience working with children. I’m also a mom & was a public school teacher,” the YouTube and Netflix star, born Rachel Griffin Accurso, posted on Instagram on Thursday, June 11. “Research shows that trauma can profoundly affect brain development & well-being & I’ve seen those effects firsthand.”

“Child development experts, teachers & parents should have a voice in policies that impact children,” her post continued. “We know that supporting children helps them thrive & makes communities stronger for everyone.”

Ms. Rachel added: “I think people who care about kids should have a say in how kids are treated 🤷🏻‍♀️.”

The post came in the wake of Ms. Rachel’s visit to New Jersey to meet with families connected to detainees at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, New Jersey, as In Touch previously reported.

“Met the sweetest children whose hearts are broken,” she shared on Instagram, Monday, June 9. “They just want their parents home again.”

After speaking directly with children separated from their parents, Ms. Rachel shared on social media that she traveled to Washington, D.C., carrying 535 packets of letters written by children who are currently or have previously been detained at the Dilley Immigration Detention Center in Texas.

In the Instagram post on Thursday, June 11, Ms. Rachel wrote, “Children need to be in school and on playgrounds not in a detention center that abuses them! I will update you soon on my meetings with Congress members! Please reach out to your Congress member! It helps so much. You can look back at this time in history and say you helped end family detention.”

Not everyone agrees with Ms. Rachel’s characterization of the situation. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson disputed claims of family separation, per Fox News, saying the agency is “laser focused on protecting children and will continue to work with federal, state, and local law enforcement to reunite children with their families.”