Issue Position: Affordable Childcare

Issue Position

Working parents, especially single mothers, often can't afford to stay home with their children and struggle to afford quality childcare. Quality childcare is not just important for a child's safety and well-being, it's critical for their future educational development. A landmark study in 1995 showed that children from low-income families will have heard 30 million fewer words by age three than their more affluent peers.

Affordable quality childcare is particularly a problem in the Sixth District. According to the University of New Hampshire, the average share of family income spent on childcare is 8.8%. But Sixth District families in all five counties spend a much larger percentage of their income on childcare.

I support the Childcare for Working Families Act, which will ensure that families earning less than 150% of state median income will pay no more than 7% percent of their income towards childcare costs. Furthermore, it will also improve the childcare workforce by providing training and compensation improvements.

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