Child Care Costs Are Soaring: How Would Trump Policies Differ From Biden Administration’s?
Written by
Allison Hache
Edited by
Maria Concepcion
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Although childcare costs vary considerably across the country, one thing is clear: it’s unaffordable for many families. Depending on where you live, the cost of childcare accounts for between 8% and 19.3% of the median family income in the area. These high costs force some parents to take drastic measures like dipping into savings or quitting their jobs until their children are old enough to attend public school.
Parents are paying attention to the rising cost of childcare and raising questions about how the federal government can help. In fact, 88% of the parents responding to Care.com’s 2024 Cost of Care Report admit that the candidates’ childcare positions will decide how they vote.Â
To date, neither of the frontrunners in the 2024 presidential election has shared a proposal to address the cost of childcare. However, their past actions potentially provide insight into how they may act in office.
Trump’s Policies
As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump promised to lessen the burden of childcare costs for families. During his term, he signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which included a provision to double the child tax credit. In the following year, Congress increased funding for the Child Care and Development Fund by $2.4 billion. However, a number of advocacy groups raised questions about the administration’s suggestion to cut funding for the CCDF and plans to cut funding for after-school programs, which many parents rely on for child care.
Biden’s Policies
In 2020, Biden also pledged to lower childcare costs and invest more money in early childhood education. Early in his term, he signed the American Rescue Plan Act, a law that set aside $39 billion for childcare relief. More recently, he signed an executive order that allows for caps on the amount of money families spend on child care and expands access to programs like Head Start. Critics of the plan argue that capping out-of-pocket childcare expenses may lead to increases in the minimum wage and give childcare providers an incentive to raise rates.
The Verdict?
No one can predict what the next president will do to affect the cost of child care, but both frontrunners have taken action to help families pay for these rising costs. However, it’s important to remember they do not act alone. Congress controls the budget. The president signs it. Without the support of Congress, their promises may go unfulfilled.
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