As the country limps into the twenty-first month of the COVID-19 pandemic, much national attention remains on our failing child care system, a system which is now widely recognized to be an essential piece of the country’s infrastructure — not only supporting healthy experiences during a child’s first years, but also allowing parents to return to work.
President Biden has shown commitment to supporting the system at the federal level, with robust investments in children and families showing up in every version of his proposed budget package. But despite the fact that the importance of early childhood has become a bipartisan value, legislation to fund child care and other family supports is at the center of national conversation as the budget bill struggles to pass.
We’ve rounded up some of the latest reporting on the child care crisis for you here.
U.S. Child Care System Presents Unique Difficulties
Parents and providers face systemic challenges to meet child care needs across the country. The following pieces discuss the history and culture that brought us to this moment, and outline the possible path forward.
Opinion: Why Is Raising a Child in the United States So Hard?
How Other Nations Pay for Child Care. The U.S. is an Outlier
Can We Fix America’s Child Care Crisis? States Implement Solutions to Avert Disaster
Federal Budget Proposal Responds to Crisis
Historic legislation at the federal level is on track to massively improve the experiences of children, their families, and their earliest educators. The movement is building to recognize child care as a vital part of our nation’s infrastructure! Read the pieces below for a good sense of what early childhood advocates are pleased to see in President Biden’s budget plan.
Exacerbated by Pandemic, Child Care Crisis Hampers Economy
Here’s What is in the $1.75 Trillion Biden Budget Plan
Childcare and Prekindergarten in The Build Back Better Act: A Guide for Policymakers
There is Still Work Ahead
These reforms are not a done deal. Support for early care and education is a broadly bipartisan priority, but this legislation is not happening in a political vacuum. These pieces give context to the current moment.
Crucial Elements of Spending Plan Remain in Flux After Biden’s Appeal to Democrats
Opinion: Biden’s Finishing what Obama Started with Early Learning
Democrats Want to Bolster Working Women, but Face Tortuous Choices
Stay Up to Date
Children’s Institute is glad to see the attention national media and policymakers are paying to the reforms and investments that will strengthen our nation’s child care and early education system, so that every parent is able to make the choices that best support their children’s healthy development. We will continue to connect our audience with the national conversation.