A Better Deal on Child Care

by Amanda Brown Lierman

Four weeks ago, my world turned upside down when I gave birth to a healthy baby girl named Belle. As every parent knows, life changes dramatically when you welcome a newborn. My husband and I spend every moment watching her, celebrating every smile and worrying about every cough or cry. But like most parents in America, what worries us most is what comes next — when I have to go back to work.

Child care is more expensive on average than in-state college tuition, and it approaches or exceeds the cost of rent in every state. American parents would have to spend 20% or more of their income on average — and in many states, much more — to provide child care. And it’s not just cost either. Long waiting lists, limited choices, and underpaid child care professionals all compound the problem, making child care a privilege and a luxury for the few when it should be available to all.

As the world’s largest economy, we certainly have the resources to do better; we simply need the political will.

That’s why Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Patty Murray, have introduced a bill to give American families a better deal on child care. The plan would more than double the number of children eligible for child care assistance in America, create a new federal-state partnership to provide universal access to pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds in families with low and moderate incomes, and make sure that child care workers are paid a living wage.

Democrats believe that families making less than 150% of their state’s median income shouldn’t have to pay more than seven percent of their income on child care. We believe that taking on the responsibility of parenthood shouldn’t feel like taking on a second mortgage as well. And we believe that the American people deserve leaders who are willing to work together, put partisanship aside, and work toward solutions to problems that affect us all.

I’m luckier than most. My boss, DNC Chair Tom Perez, made clear when he hired me (at seven months pregnant) that there was no job more important than being a parent. We have local family support, and my husband and I are both able to bring Belle to work when we need to. But most parents don’t have access to even the most basic childcarebenefits.

This problem affects families across the country. In Pennsylvania, for example, the average cost of child care is almost $1,000 a month — that’s 16% of a typical family’s income. In Colorado, the price tag is even higher, with child care expenses accounting for nearly 20% of a typical family’s income.

These costs are especially taxing for women, who still make up the majority of primary caregivers. Two-thirds of mothers are primary or co-breadwinners for their households, and most mothers who are primary breadwinners are single parents. Women of color have borne an even heavier burden, as African-American and Latina mothers are more likely to be breadwinners than their white peers.

But this isn’t just the right thing to do for American families. It’s the smart thing to do for our economy. Study after study has shown that when people have to choose between their family and their career, our entire economy suffers. According to the Center for American Progress, a 26-year-old mother would lose nearly half a million dollars in lifetime earnings if she took just five years off a median-paying job to care for her child. Further analysis by CAP shows that nearly 2 million parents of young children have had to quit a job, turn down a job offer, or dramatically change their career because they couldn’t find quality, affordable child care.

We can and we must do better. My generation inherited this problem, but we don’t have to pass it on to Belle and all the children she’ll grow up with. Democrats are prepared to lead on this issue and work with Republicans and the president to get decent child care within reach for hardworking families. If we succeed, we’ll all be better off.

Amanda Brown Lierman is the Political and Organizing Director at the Democratic National Committee, a former Obama administration official, and a new mother.