Our district’s average cost of childcare is over $10,000 per child yearly – sometimes costing parents half their salary to work and raise children. To reduce poverty, working families deserve relief.
UPPER PENINSULA, Mich. –– I support high-quality, accessible and affordable childcare because it supports us in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. It supports our families and helps us build a better future through the success of our children and their families.
Inaccessible and unaffordable childcare has adverse economic impacts. It causes higher employee absences and turnover, postponement of education or training opportunities, reduced hours, and parents leaving the workforce. Reducing poverty, caring for our children, and providing relief to hard-working families is well-spent taxpayers' money. We will see significant economic benefits as it helps parents get back to work and pursue opportunities for their families.
Reliable access to childcare can generate an additional $79,000 in lifetime earnings for parents. In addition, single parents who receive assistance for childcare payments are nearly 40% more likely to maintain employment over two years than those who do not.
It's time our district has a leader in Congress working hard for hard-working families. We need quality childcare, health care, and education, which must be paid for and budgeted accordingly. I will work as your Representative in Washington with a vision for the future to improve the lives of Northern Michiganders and Yoopers..
"Child care has been underfunded for decades, resulting in an inadequate supply of high-quality programs and too many families priced out of the system. Providers can only charge what families can afford, which often translates into near-poverty wages and limited benefits (if any) for early educators." - DEMANDING CHANGE, childcareaware.org
We hear from many working families around the UP about how childcare is a significant issue for them. This needs legislative change to support working families, and it is the right thing to do.
How can my opponent look parents in the eyes and tell them he opposes high-quality, accessible and affordable childcare?
