Helping Families with Child Care Costs Is Important Says McIntyre Who Is Pushing Key Legislation

Press Release

U.S. Representative Mike McIntyre is supporting legislation in three specific ways to help families meet the rising costs of child care and improve the accessibility and quality of child care.

Congressman McIntyre, who previously served as Co-Chairman of a task force on children and families, stated, "Quality and affordable child care is critical to our working families, and we must do all we can to improve it. The Right Start Child Care and Education Act is a great effort to ensure that the littlest of our citizens are taken care of. We can and we should pass this bill now!"

Three critical components of this bill are:

* Bringing the federal Dependent and Child Care Tax Credit up-to-date - Bill increases the dollar limit on the credit for a single eligible child or dependent to $5,000 and for two or more eligible individuals to $10,000. Also increases the eligible income level for the taxpayer so that more families can earn the full credit.

* Increasing the business tax credit to create more incentives for employers to construct or offer workplace child care facilities -- Raises the share of expenses eligible for the credit to 35% for building child care centers of contracting out, and 20% for placement and referral services. Raises total credit from $150,000 to $225,000.

* Encourages more college graduates to work in child care centers - Creates a new tax credit of $2,000 a year for any college graduate with a degree in a related child care filed who works at least 1,200 hours a year in a child care facility

Source