Congressman Dan Goldman Fights to Increase Access to Affordable Child Care

‘Child Care for Working Families Act’ Would Cap Cost of Child Care to No More than 7 Percent of Family’s Income

Legislation Would Expand Early Childhood Education Programs for Low-Income Families

Washington D.C. - Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)  joined Representative Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Representative Susan Wild (PA-07) in fighting to lower the cost of child care for working families. The ‘Child Care for Working Families Act’ would cap child care costs at 7 percent of a family’s income while expanding access to early childhood education programs and full-year, full-day child care programs. This legislation would also increase pay for child care workers and provide funds to support high-quality child care facilities.

The cost of child care has increased by over 220 percent in the last three decades, with the average annual child care costs for an infant exceeding that of tuition at a public four-year university. 

“It is incumbent on all of us to provide our children with the opportunity for lifelong success, which starts with guaranteeing access to affordable child care for American families” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “Unfortunately, the prohibitively high costs of child care and early childhood education have for too long prevented working families from taking advantage of these transformative programs. As a father of five and an original member of the Dads Caucus, I know how vital it is for parents to have reliable access to quality child care. I am proud to stand with working families across the country to fight for the programs that set our children and families up for success.” 

The Child Care for Working Families Act would ensure that no working family pays more than seven percent of their income on child care, expand access to high-quality preschool for low- and middle-income families, and increase funding for full-year, full-day child care programs. The legislation would also increase compensation forchild care and early education workers and create a fund to support child care providers and enable them to offer high-quality services for families in low-access areas.

Decades of research show that supporting children’s development in the early years of life leads to better educational outcomes and stronger job earnings. Nobel-prize winning economist James Heckman found that quality early learning programs produce $7 in economic benefits for every $1 invested.

The current funding for the federal child care subsidy program, the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), is far too low to ensure all working families are able to enroll their children in quality early learning programs.  According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data, only 16 percent of children currently eligible for CCDBG receive financial support to afford child care.

Unfortunately, due to the rising costs of child care around the country, many parents, especially mothers, are forced to choose between paying for child care and leaving the workforce altogether. Additionally, over half of families live in a child care desert as child care businesses across the country struggle to stay afloat and  childcare workers struggle to pay their bills due to low wages.

On average, the U.S. economy loses $122 billion dollars each year due to lost wages and revenues because workers can’t get the child care they need. Expanding access to affordable early learning programs would allow parents to increase their earnings and make advancements in their careers.

Congressman Dan Goldman requested $1,713,000 in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget to re-open Hamilton-Madison House’s Childcare and Family Support Center at NYCHA Smith Houses.

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