Background and career
Rachel Anne Accurso (née Griffin; born November 30, 1982), better known as Ms. Rachel, is an American children's educator, YouTuber, and activist. She created the YouTube series Ms. Rachel (originally Songs for Littles), which combines original songs and classic children's music with a focus on early language development for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. As of 2026, the channel has more than 21 million subscribers and over 16 billion views.
Accurso, who holds master's degrees in music education and early childhood education, began the series in 2019 after struggling to find media resources for her son, who had a speech delay. The show became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic and has drawn comparisons to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood for its grounding in childhood development research. Netflix began streaming compilation episodes of Ms. Rachel in 2025 and the series became one of the platform's most-watched children's shows that year. The series received two nominations at the 4th Children's and Family Emmy Awards in 2026. Accurso has also received a Streamy Award and a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award, among other honors.
Accurso is an activist for children affected by the Gaza war and by immigration detention. Beginning in 2024, she raised funds and publicly advocated for children in Gaza, drawing both support and accusations of antisemitism from several pro-Israel organizations. She has campaigned against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's detention of migrant children, including petitioning to close a family detention facility and meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill in June 2026.
Accurso was born Rachel Anne Griffin outside of Portland, Maine in the city of Biddeford, and raised in nearby Sanford. She was raised, along with her sister, by a single mother, and has stated that in her youth they "struggled... to afford things." As a teenager and young adult, she worked a variety of jobs, including working for a summer program for disabled children, teaching music to refugee children through the Boys & Girls Club in Maine, and working as a music teacher at a public preschool in New York City before starting her YouTube channel. She also participated in community theater.
She attended Sanford High School, where she participated in theatre, before she moved and began attending Marshwood High School. She subsequently attended the University of Southern Maine. She earned a master's degree in music education from New York University in 2016 and a second master's degree in early childhood education from the American College of Education.
How Ms. Rachel makes money
In September 2026, she announced she would match Macklemore's $1 million donation to Palestinian aid, giving to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, following Macklemore's donation amid the Macklemore–Ed Sheeran tour controversy.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth, in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
