Voters, Candidates, and Policymakers Talk about ECE

New economic data and voter concerns about the shortage of child care have caught the attention of government leaders and candidates for public office. In this article, we share some recent news and events that demonstrate increased support for policies and investments leading to a stronger childcare sector. 

States Meet at the White House to Share Childcare Initiatives

On Friday, September 27th, leaders from 34 states across the country met at the White House to discuss the actions being taken to: improve childcare affordability for working families, increase childcare provider supply, and enhance job quality for childcare workers.  

This White House convening followed the release of an issue brief from the Council of Economic Advisors, underscoring the connection between a strong childcare industry and the overall health of the nation’s economy. The report emphasized that the country’s maternal workforce and new business formation are closely linked to accessible, affordable child care. In its report, the Council of Economic Advisors called for additional investments in the childcare sector.

The Workforce Behind the Workforce

In both August and September, the U.S. Department of Labor’s monthly report on employment stated that the share of Americans who were absent from work because of childcare difficulties reached record-setting highs, far exceeding pre-pandemic peaks. An additional 150,000 of the employees surveyed stated that they were working part-time hours instead of full-time because of child-care problems. At the same time, employment in childcare services has not been nearly enough to match the demand for childcare, a statistic highlighted in an NBC News interview with Julia Pollak, an economist at ZipRecruiter. 

Voters– Republicans, Democrats, and Independents– Seek Action on Childcare

First Five Years Fund, an organization that works with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to prioritize and build support for early learning and childcare programs, released results from a voter poll that was conducted by the bipartisan research team of New Bridge Strategies (Republican) and Hart Research (Democrat). The majority of participants, regardless of their political party, were in favor of public policies that support access to child care. For example…

• 89% of voters responding to the poll (80% of Republicans, 88% of Independents, 93% of Democrats) want candidates for federal office to have a plan around childcare.
• 68% of respondents (53% of Republicans, 64% of Independents, 84% of Democrats) say that affordable childcare is “essential/very important” to the economy.
• 76% (62% of Republicans, 74% of Independents, 92% of Democrats) support efforts to modernize the federal child care tax credit (CDCTC) to help ease the burden of childcare costs.

What the Presidential Candidates are Saying

Candidates for public office have heard voter concerns about access to childcare, and are responding by addressing voters’ questions. Both the Trump/Vance and Harris/Walz presidential campaigns are being asked in media interviews about the candidates’ childcare policy positions. 

The policy platforms for each of the candidates can be found on their campaign websites: Kamala Harris/Tim Walz and Donald Trump/JD Vance.