Today, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, Gender Policy Council Director Jen Klein, and Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Mobility Carmel Martin hosted a conversation with parents and their children at the White House to discuss the need to cut the crushing child care costs families face and increase the supply of high-quality child care.
The Administration officials highlighted President Biden’s plans to make the largest investment in child care and preschool in the nation’s history, saving most working families more than half of their spending on child care and expanding the number of high-quality child care providers.
The President’s plan would also enable states to deliver two years of free pre-school for every 3- and 4-year old in a setting of their parents’ choice – from public schools and child care providers to Head Start. They reiterated that early learning experiences help children succeed later in life; research shows that every $1 invested in high-quality early childhood care and education can yield $3 to $7 over the long run, as children do better in school, are more likely to graduate high-school and college, and earn more as adults.
The parents attending the event shared that the high costs of child care and the difficulty of finding quality, affordable child care near their homes made it challenging for them to provide for their families and remain in the workforce.
One family member noted spending more than $2,000 a month in child care expenses and the immense strain that put on their family’s expenses.. The families discussed how the pandemic exacerbated many of the challenges they were already facing when it comes to child care and emphasized how the President’s plans will help families access high-quality early childhood care and education.
