For millions of parents and grandparents across the country, Ms. Rachel is more than a familiar face on a screen. She is a daily presence, a comforting voice in living rooms where toddlers learn their first words, gestures, and songs. Her programs stream from televisions, tablets, and phones as part of a routine countless families depend on.
Behind the character is Rachel Griffin Accurso, creator of the viral series “Songs for Littles.” Over the past six years, she has grown her project from simple homemade videos into a powerful children’s brand valued in the multimillion-dollar range. With her focus on early language development for babies and toddlers, she has become one of the most influential figures in early childhood content.
However, as her reach expanded, so did public scrutiny. Some parents have raised concerns about her growing political and social activism, questioning whether her content remains exclusively educational.
The First Signs Of Controversy
Her platform centers largely on YouTube, where she has built an enormous audience of more than 18.7 million subscribers. Several of her videos have gained massive traction, including one that passed 1.8 billion views. Her work now appears on Netflix and extends to books, toys, and branded merchandise.
The @MsRachel account first launched in February 2019, shortly after her son was born. Accurso has said she created the series in response to his severe speech delays. According to her website, she holds two master’s degrees in education, one in early-childhood development and another in music education.
That educational authority, combined with parents’ expectations of apolitical content, positioned her brand for its first major cultural conflict.
Debate Over Representation
In 2023, a wave of criticism surged when musician Jules Hoffman, who identifies as nonbinary, began appearing in her videos. Hoffman has spoken publicly about their gender transition, stirring debate among parents of toddlers.
Although the “Songs for Littles” series has never included direct discussions about pronouns, some critics argued that featuring a nonbinary performer blurred the line between representation and activism in content for very young children.
During the uproar, Accurso announced a mental health break from TikTok in February 2023, citing “hurtful videos and comments.” She returned the following month with a video on digital boundaries captioned “Love > fear.”
Hoffman’s Activism Adds Fuel To The Fire
Hoffman has since started a children’s education brand and has become outspoken politically online. Earlier this month, they released a song criticizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, saying they “pretend to be good guys” while urging people to “protect our neighbors with our bodies.”
This only intensified the broader debate around the tone of children’s programming and the political visibility of its creators.
A Shifting Landscape After The Israel-Hamas War
The start of the Israel-Hamas conflict brought another wave of backlash from some conservative audiences. In May 2024, Accurso expanded her humanitarian efforts tied to the conflict by launching a fundraiser for Save the Children. Her goal was to help children affected by crises in several regions, including Gaza.
She offered personalized recorded videos, pledging all proceeds to the emergency fund. Critics accused her of selective empathy, with one pro-Israel group claiming she overlooked Israeli children killed or kidnapped on October 7 by Hamas.
In response, Accurso posted a tearful TikTok video, writing, “I care deeply for all children. Palestinian children, Israeli children, children in the U.S. Muslim, Jewish, Christian children all children, in every country. Not one is excluded.”
Later, she wrote a similar Instagram message explaining that her Christian faith inspired her belief that every child belongs in her classroom.
“Just so you know, you are welcome in Ms Rachel’s classroom [and] I love you. People who are trans, gay, nonbinary, people who are Somali, people who are any religion Muslim, Jewish, Christian or not religious, people who use food stamps, Democrats, Republicans, people who are undocumented, people who hate me,” she wrote.
“Also I’m Christian and I feel in my soul and my prayers (and Jesus’s example) no one is to be excluded,” she added in a comment.
Increasing Involvement In Global Activism
Her advocacy expanded further through work with the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. She even hosted Rahaf, a 3-year-old double amputee from Gaza, who was brought to the United States for medical care.
Accurso told the pain of receiving criticism will “never compare to the pain of not speaking out during a genocide.”
In July 2025, she posted on Threads that she was “not comfortable working with anyone who hasn’t spoken out about Gaza.”
She also participated in an interview with anti-Israel journalist Mehdi Hasan, explaining her motives for speaking publicly about children in Gaza. She stated she was “horrified by October 7” and rejected claims that supporting children in one crisis implied a lack of compassion for others.
A New Scandal: Liking An Antisemitic Comment
Last week, Accurso faced another storm when she posted an apology after liking an antisemitic comment on Instagram that said, “Free America from the Jews.” She explained that the like was accidental while attempting to delete the remark, adding that she is human and “makes mistakes.”
In a formal statement, she said, “[On Wednesday], I accidentally liked a hateful comment on my social media while trying to delete it. I have always been completely clear on this; I do not support language that targets or harms the Jewish community or any community. Antisemitism and hate of any kind have no place in my life or my work. Everything I do is rooted in kindness, inclusion, and care for all humanity. Those values guide me every day, and I remain firmly committed to them.”
Political Ties Add New Complications
Her role in political spaces grew in December after being named to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s inaugural committee. Mamdani has described himself as a democratic socialist and has been a vocal critic of Israel. Earlier this month, the two appeared in a video discussing universal childcare and free bus service.
Despite Boycotts, Her Brand Continues To Expand
Even after earlier boycotts from some parents, Accurso struck a major deal with Netflix. The platform added multiple interactive lessons from her catalog. It also hosts the long-running children’s program “Sesame Street,” placing her content in one of the most visible spaces in children’s entertainment.
