Child care and early education are part of the country’s infrastructure and an economic investment. When Congress neglects to robustly fund child care and early education, it negatively affects parents’ workforce participation, families’ economic security, and U.S. economic prosperity. The Early Childhood Policy team believes in policymakers’ responsibility to establish comprehensive solutions that invest in all families.
Easing burdens on eligible people participating in government programs can reduce poverty and inequity.
By reforming Temporary Assistance for Needy Families as a strong automatic stabilizer, policymakers can keep millions of Americans out of poverty and counteract recessionary pressures.
The Child Care for Working Families Act would invest in the United States’ care infrastructure, growing the economy while lowering child care costs for the middle class.
Working mothers are important drivers of three essential industries—elementary and secondary education, hospitals, and food services—yet cannot afford child care for their own children.
New data show that child care expenses amount to 35 percent of low-income families’ earnings.
More mothers would increase their earnings and seek new job opportunities if they had greater access to reliable and affordable child care.
In an era of skyrocketing child care prices, the District of Columbia’s offer of two years of free, high-quality preschool has been a game changer for working families.