Making Sure My Kids Are On Track

The High-Quality Child Care Squeeze: Voters And Politicians Respond Concerning Parents Under Pressure

10 February 2016

Jackson Henry

According to recent polls, people in the U.S. take child care very seriously. One of the biggest beefs that Americans have concerning childcare is the high cost. Parents who must work have a difficult time finding affordable, quality preschool care that they can trust.

Here's what recent polls say as well as one solution that is being proposed:

Iowa caucus goers affirm importance of childcare

Presidential election caucus goers in Iowa were recently asked to take a poll concerning their attitudes about early childhood daycare and pre-K programs. Their answers affirm that people in the U.S. believe that quality child care is too expensive, that it's important to the economy, and that parents need tax credits to help offset childcare and early education costs.

Among all respondents, 70% agree that childcare costs too much and is unattainable for workers with low-to-moderate incomes. The majority of caucus goers of all ages—and 70% of 18 to 29-year-olds-- feel that families and the economy depend on high-quality childcare. Over 60% of respondents are happy to support further tax credits to assist families with the burden.

One think tank proposes direct payments to care providers

High-quality child care now cost more per year than tuition at two thirds of the states' public colleges. Parents in Massachusetts, for example, can expect to pay over $16,000 per year for child care. This places a huge financial burden on families making low or moderate incomes.

Some politicians and policy-makers seem to have figured out that they must address millennials' child care needs in order to win their votes.  One proposal to help struggling families meet their exorbitant childcare expenses is a "high-quality childcare credit" that would involve payments made directly to child care providers with a minimal contribution from families.

How a high-quality child care tax credit would work

The proposed plan would allot up to $14,000 per child, and the amount your provider would receive would be dependent on your income.

Families of four with incomes up to 133% of the poverty line, or $32,253 per year, would need to contribute 2% of their income to be eligible for a child care credit of $13,340 per year. The same-sized family at an income of $97,000 per year would need to pay $11,640 toward quality child care costs to receive an annual credit of $2,360.

Parents of preschool-aged children should expect to hear more child care proposals from politicians. It's a good time for parents to register to vote and to get involved in public policy concerning early educational and daycare needs.

You can get involved by contacting your state legislators and sharing your support for increased child-care tax credits. Let the candidates know your thoughts on the importance of supporting families through affordable child care solutions.

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