When I first heard the phrase “affordable, quality child care for all families” echoed at a political event last summer, I couldn’t help but stand up and cheer in my living room. It’s one of the most critical issues affecting working families today—something I’ve been advocating for over the past decade.
Quality child care is synonymous with high-quality early childhood education and represents one of the best societal investments we can make. Studies indicate that for every dollar spent on early childhood education, the economy can expect a return of upwards of 13%. Despite its historical status as a nonpartisan issue, from the days of World War II when universal child care was available to the recent reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014, we’ve seen minimal substantive changes for working families who desperately need child care.
Currently, over 11 million children under the age of five are enrolled in child care, meaning it is essential for working families. Yet, in 49 out of 50 states, child care remains prohibitively expensive. The Trump child care plan ties the value of tax deductions to income levels, resulting in families earning $250,000 receiving greater deductions than those making $50,000.
To illustrate, take my own family: my partner Mike and I have two kids in child care. Thankfully, we both have stable jobs with benefits, but it’s only recently that we’ve been able to set aside any savings. Our tax rate is 25%, while families earning significantly less are taxed at only 12%. This means that those who struggle the most receive far less assistance.
So, let’s not start with families like mine. Instead, let’s focus on families who are working yet still living in poverty or merely trying to survive from one paycheck to the next. These families, often with lower incomes, need access to high-quality child care to improve their children’s futures. For instance, a family of three in Massachusetts at the poverty level would need to allocate nearly 85% of their income for full-time infant care.
Moreover, single parents face extraordinary challenges; in every state, the average cost of center-based infant care exceeds 24% of their median income. The financial burden is overwhelming.
We should also prioritize millennial parents, many of whom carry significant education debt and are delaying milestones like homeownership and starting families. Approximately 1 in 4 postsecondary students are parents, with many striving to improve their circumstances.
Additionally, we must consider families needing child care during nontraditional hours. These parents work when others are off, often handling night shifts or fluctuating schedules, leaving them with few quality child care options.
Parents of children with special needs also need our support, as they often struggle to find affordable access to essential services. Rural families face their own set of challenges, as they often inhabit child care deserts where the demand for quality care outstrips the supply.
Finally, we must focus on investing in the child care workforce itself. Research indicates that about half of those who care for our children live in poverty, often underpaid despite their crucial role in providing quality early learning experiences that prepare children for both school and life.
I genuinely appreciate the attention this issue is receiving, but it’s vital that support extends to everyone, not just a select few. Investment in early childhood education is a win-win: it benefits children, families, and the economy as a whole. If you’re looking for more information on family planning and related topics, check out this great resource on IVF.
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In summary, let’s direct our efforts toward those who need it most; the families struggling to make ends meet deserve the support and resources to ensure their children have the best start possible.