Working Families
Access to affordable, reliable, and high-quality early learning and child care opportunities provides working families with better job stability and overall economic security.
Here are five things to know about child care and working families.
- Child care prices are untenable across all program types, age groups, and geographic locations. In 2021, the cost of infant care ranged from 24.6% to 75.1% of income for single-parent households.
- Child care helps parents return to or stay at work, which can generate an additional $94,000 in lifetime earnings for mothers.
- Almost half of parents are absent from work at least once every six months due to child care issues.
- 74% of mothers and 66% of fathers have left work early, arrived late, or been absent because child care fell through at the last minute.
- In a recent poll, 59% of part-time or non-working parents say they would go back to work full-time if their child had access to quality child care at a reasonable cost.
Learn more:
Posts
2025 FFYF Federal Guide to Early Learning and Care Programs
The 119th Congress has the opportunity to invest in America’s children, working families, and the economy through high-quality child care and early childhood education. This resource book is an introduction …
Fox News Hosts: One Issue That Transcends Party Is Child Care
This week, Fox News’ Fox & Friends co-hosts singled out child care challenges as the “one issue” where Democrats and Republicans can come together to provide real economic support for …
The First Five Things to Know About: The Britt-Kaine Bipartisan Child Care Plan
First Introduced: July 2024 Reintroduced: March 2025. Parents want to make child care choices that best support their family’s individual needs and their child’s development. This is especially true for …
The First Five Things to Know About: the House Bipartisan Pre-K and Child Care Caucus
Addressing the child care needs of families across America is a critical element to strengthening our communities and our economy. For years, the House Bipartisan Pre-K and Child Care Caucus …
The First Five Things To Know About: The Federal Tax Code and Child Care
Child care is not a luxury for American families – it’s a necessity. Yet the high costs associated with quality child care are rapidly outpacing most other expenses, including the …
Child Care Choices: An Overview of Early Learning and Care Settings
Finding child care that is affordable, safe, and developmentally appropriate is critical for children and families alike. Families also need choices to meet their specific needs. Children experience both short- and …
State by State: Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit
It’s a struggle for millions of hard-working American families to afford quality child care. Federal programs and policies help support working families with child care expenses, but they are limited …
The First Five Things To Know About: Child Care Is Infrastructure
This week Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) reintroduced her “Child Care Is Infrastructure” package, two bills designed to make critical investments in child care facilities and the early education workforce. …
State Of Play: Federal Child Care Solutions Gain Steam Going Into The August Recess
June and July brought a lot of Congressional momentum, with multiple pieces of proposed legislation that would bring better support to more working families and young children who need quality, …
Spotlight On: Child Care and the 2024 Olympics
There have been many memorable moments from the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Steve, the Pommel Horse guy. Snoop Dogg and Flavor Flav bringing the fun as Ambassadors. Simone Biles, …
The First Five Things to Know About: The Child Care and Development Block Grant Reauthorization Act of 2024
Working families across the country rely on quality child care, but for too many families, child care remains hard to find and even harder to afford. The federal Child Care …
STATEMENT: First Five Years Fund In Support of the Newly Introduced Child Care and Development Block Grant Reauthorization Act of 2024
Washington – Today, Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) introduced legislation to reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act (CCDBG), the primary federal child care program that helps working families …
