Our nation is lagging behind on affordable child care. More than half of all Americans live in areas that have child care costs that are more than any other major household expenses, including housing.
Child-care workers (many of whom are mothers themselves) are among the lowest-paid workers in our nation. For every $1 invested in early learning and child care, taxpayers get back $13 later due to fewer later grade repetitions, fewer later interactions with the criminal justice system, and more.
Massachusetts families are gaining access to affordable, high-quality child care, but the reality is that there are still too many families struggling to make it work by scraping together care and working odd jobs.
It’s time for our elected leaders in Congress to act on the Child Care for Working Families Act. We need more than incremental steps, and this bill is what Massachusetts needs to make sure all families can afford high-quality child care, and that the workforce earns a living wage.
Rosemary Graf
Cummington