A group of Senate Democrats led by New Mexico Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján reintroduced legislation last week aimed at making child care more affordable and accessible, while criticizing President Donald Trump’s approach to early childhood education funding.
The Child Care for Working Families Act would cap child care costs at no more than 7% of a family’s income, with families earning below 85% of their state’s median income paying nothing for child care services, according to the lawmakers.
“Too many families are forced to make the impossible choice between earning a paycheck and child care,” Heinrich said in a statement.
The typical American family would pay no more than $15 daily for child care under the proposed legislation.
The bill comes as Democrats have criticized Trump’s handling of federal child care programs. Luján, who described himself as one of only two Head Start graduates serving in the Senate, said Republicans are “slashing funding for Head Start and other federal child care programs.”
The legislation would address what supporters call “child care deserts” by providing grants to establish new providers in underserved communities and cover startup costs for new facilities. It also aims to increase wages for child care workers to achieve parity with elementary school teachers who have similar credentials and experience.
The bill would dramatically expand access to pre-kindergarten programs for 3- and 4-year-olds and provide funding for full-day, full-year Head Start programming, according to the lawmakers.
The legislation is led by Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Andy Kim, D-N.J., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. It has 44 Democratic co-sponsors in the Senate, including independents Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
In the House, the bill is led by Reps. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., Summer Lee, D-Pa., and Bobby Scott, D-Va.
The proposal allows the Department of Health and Human Services secretary to provide funding directly to localities if states decline to participate in the program.