Hedgepeth cited an election night survey by the National Women’s Law Center, a nonprofit that advocates for women’s rights, that found that “voters do show up and vote when they have the chance to raise their children.” ” and 77% of voters said the following. For them, ensuring access to affordable child care was important.
“By extension, elected officials should be making childcare a top priority,” she says.
According to estimates by the Department of Labor, more than 13 million of the approximately 63 million parents in the United States rely on paid childcare facilities nationwide. Costs tend to be higher for families with infants and young children, those living in large counties, and those using center-based care rather than home.
Livingston said care work has historically been undervalued and disproportionately affects women. Her team found that a 10% increase in childcare costs was associated with a 1% decline in female labor force participation.
“There may come a time when people have to make a decision: Does it really make sense to keep working and paying this much money in child support, or is it better to stay home?” she says. I did.
Hedgepeth said researchers found that costs will continue to rise in 2023, albeit at a slower pace than inflation.
“There are many good reasons to invest in child care, so this is not a race to the bottom,” Hedgepeth said.
In fact, a Department of Labor report found that on top of the $24 billion in federal pandemic aid for child care providers, an additional $14 billion has flown in to help states address the issue, leading to additional costs. It is said that a rise in prices has been prevented.
“It’s important to understand that raising children requires resources, and we need to find the resources because right now parents are carrying such a huge burden,” Hedgepeth said. he added.
