Senator Angus King Introduces Legislation to Lower Childcare Costs and Address Nationwide Shortage

US Senator Angus King, a Maine Independent, has introduced comprehensive legislation to address the nationwide shortage of affordable childcare and lower costs for working families. The Child Care for Working Families Act would provide ample resources to support childcare options that are accessible and affordable for families across the country.

The legislation aims to make childcare affordable for working families by capping costs at 7% of their income, providing grants to establish new childcare providers in underserved communities, and expanding access to high-quality pre-K programs. It also supports higher wages for childcare workers, who would be paid a living wage and achieve parity with elementary school teachers. The bill would dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K, providing funding to establish and expand universal local preschool programs within and across high-need communities.

Key Takeaways:

• The average cost of childcare in the US is now $13,128, a 29% increase since 2020 that outpaces inflation.
• In 49 states and the District of Columbia, the average annual cost of childcare for two children exceeds median rent.
• The child care crisis costs the US economy over $100 billion each year, with an estimated 18,000 people in Maine out of the labor force due to a lack of childcare.
• The Child Care for Working Families Act would provide grants to establish new childcare providers in underserved communities and expand access to high-quality pre-K programs.
• Families earning below 85% of state median income would pay nothing at all for childcare, while working families would pay no more than 7% of their income on childcare.
• The legislation would support higher wages for childcare workers, who would be paid a living wage and achieve parity with elementary school teachers.
• The bill would provide funding to support Head Start programs by offering full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.

Statistics:

• Average cost of childcare: $13,128 (29% increase since 2020)
• Number of people out of labor force in Maine due to lack of childcare: 18,000
• Annual cost of childcare crisis to the US economy: $100 billion
• Number of states where average annual childcare cost for two children exceeds median rent: 49
• Number of states where childcare cost for one infant exceeds in-state university tuition: 41
• Number of senators cosponsoring the legislation: 31

Sources:

[1] Senator Angus King, "Introduction of the Child Care for Working Families Act" [2] Senator Angus King Press Release, "King Joins Bipartisan Legislation to Lower Childcare Costs and Address Nationwide Shortage"