House Democrats reintroduce legislation to expand child care access and affordability

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – House Democrats are reintroducing two pieces of legislation that they say would help families struggling with child care access and affordability across the country.

House Minority Whip, Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), said the Child Care Infrastructure Act and the Child Care Workforce Development Act would “strengthen our child care system, build more classrooms and recruit more talent into early education.”

The Child Care Infrastructure Act would invest $10 billion into the construction and renovation of child care facilities and order a national audit of child care infrastructure to identify where the most help is needed.

“In these rural communities, there are no options in some of these communities where they are desperate for help,” Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.) said.

The Child Care Workforce Development Act would help tackle the nationwide shortage of early educators by providing up to $4,000 of annual support for those who study early education and repaying up to $30,000 of their student loans once they are in a job.

“Child care is too expensive and too hard to find. Early educators are overworked and underpaid,” Rep. Clark said. “Congress has the power to solve this. With this legislation we’re introducing, we mark a step forward.”

Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) promised to make child care a top priority not only for House Democrats, but for the Senate. He said he would try to force senators to “follow our lead.”

“Across the country, child care costs way too much, plain and simple. And this is where you see at least on average 25% of families’ income going towards child care,” Rep. Gomez said. “So, if we want to uplift families and we want to tackle and lower costs for families, child care is the best way to do it.”

It’s not clear if either bill has enough support to pass the House.

The high cost of child care is also a focal point in the 2024 race for president. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have both supported a higher child tax credit.

Harris said she would work to expand the child tax credit as much as $3,600 per child, and $6,000 in a baby’s first year. Trump has not laid out a plan for how he would make caregiving more affordable, but Congress expanded the child tax credit when he was president, and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, supports doing it again.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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