Amidst a seemingly divided political landscape, child care stands out as a shared priority that transcends party lines. As a prime example of this, Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) have come together to introduce a comprehensive child care package aimed at addressing one of the most pressing challenges facing American families today.

We had the honor and privilege of sitting down with Senator Britt and Senator Kaine to delve into the details of their proposal, what this effort means for the future of child care in the U.S, and the significance of bipartisan collaboration.

Before we dig into this legislative package, I'd first like to thank you both for your continuous focus and support for the betterment of child care policy. Could each of you share a little bit about why child care is a topic of passion for each of you?

Senator Britt: It's personal because of my own experiences as a mom, as well as how it affects the small business community, which is near and dear to my heart. A little over a decade ago, my husband and I had to spend astronomical amounts of money to send our two babies to child care. It felt like we were writing checks for college. Today, those costs have risen even more, and families are struggling to access affordable, quality options.

When the costs of child care are too high, parents face the question of whether it's financially rational to return to work. If parents need or want to work, child care should not be the impediment. This disproportionately affects women. This is where it really becomes an even bigger workforce issue, too. Every industry in America right now is facing labor shortages-from manufacturing and agriculture to nursing and education. I am committed to being a voice for moms and dads across our nation in solving this crisis. We are going to put parents back in the driver's seat.

Senator Kaine: The lack of child care is hurting children, families, and our economy. I remember well the challenges of finding great child care when our kids were young. Everywhere I go, I hear from parents about how difficult it is to find high-quality, affordable care for their children, and many parents have been forced out of the workforce as a result. I'm proud that one of my adult children works as a child care provider. But many other dedicated providers who love their jobs are being driven out of the field by low wages. It's clear more must be done to address this crisis.

Senator Britt, the cost of child care is ever-rising, draining nearly a quarter of families' household incomes annually. Can you explain what the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act has the potential to do for affordability?

Senator Britt: It is my view that the child care market cannot be "fixed" with one single solution. It will take a comprehensive approach. The child care system must be improved on multiple levels, and State and local leader buy-in is essential. Our bipartisan, pro-family solution acknowledges that reality while addressing both supply and demand challenges.

The Child Care Availability and Affordability Act uses tax credits to help low and middle-income parents better afford child care costs while also incentivizing businesses to provide child care for their employees. Our bill would:

• Make the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit refundable-allowing low-income parents to benefit from the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (C.D.C.T.C.) for the first time.
• Expand the maximum Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit from $3,000 to $5,000 for families with one child and $4,000 to $8,000 for families with two or more children;
• Increase the amount parents can deduct for child care through the Dependent Care Assistance Program. Our bill would allow families to deduct 50% more in child care expenses-up to $7,500;
• Allow eligible families to benefit from both the Dependent Care Assistance Program and Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit simultaneously; and
• Incentivize businesses to provide child care to their employees through the Employer-Provided Child Care Tax Credit, often known as 45F.

The bottom line is that this will save parents a significant amount of money annually without creating a government entitlement.

Senator Britt further broke down exactly how this bill could impact families with an example.

Senator Britt: Today, the average cost of child care in Jefferson County, Alabama, is $10,662 per year. As it currently stands, working parents with one child, assuming an employer contributes to their Dependent Care Assistance Program, would have to pay $5,662 out of pocket for child care. But with our bill that out-of-pocket cost goes down to $662. That's a nearly $5,000 savings annually for a single mom or working couple - nearly $420 a month.

Senator Kaine, while cost is top of mind for many families and often gets the most buzz, we're glad to see that this package also tackles accessibility issues by expanding the workforce. Can you tell me a bit more about what the Child Care Workforce Act has the potential to do for accessibility?

Senator Kaine: The Child Care Workforce Act is under the jurisdiction of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, which I am a member of. My son is a child care provider, so I know firsthand how low wages can make it difficult for child care workers to do the work they love. Low wages have pushed workers out of the field, which decreases the supply of child care providers and makes it even harder for families to access care. This bill, which is modeled off of work happening in Virginia, D.C., and other states across the country, seeks to address the supply issue by creating a new competitive grant program to increase the number of child care workers and reduce turnover.

Senator Britt, can you share what kind of feedback or input you received from child care experts, parents, and providers in the development of this legislation, and how their voices helped shape the final bill?

Senator Britt: In 2022, a collaborative partnership led by the Alabama Partnership for Children, Alabama School Readiness Alliance, and VOICES for Alabama's Children studied the state of child care in Alabama. This amazing group went county-by-county and did everything from surveys to town halls with parents, child care employees, and providers. They published their report in January of this year. Overall, the project found three top issues to be nearly universal - parents are paying too much for child care, providers are struggling with staff shortages, and employers are concerned with their employees' lack of access to reliable, high-quality childcare arrangements.

The issue of child care is massive, so this helped inform our focus on affordability, accessibility, and workforce.

In our 2024 Cost of Care Report, we found that 88% of respondents say a candidate's position on childcare policy will influence their vote in November's election. Senator Kaine, why do you think child care has been catapulted to this level of national conversation?

Senator Kaine: Families have been hit particularly hard since the pandemic. While we've made a lot of progress to recover and rebuild, we still need to do more. More than half of families live in child care deserts. Many families are put on long wait lists to access care. Parents haven't been able to go back to work because they can't find care for their kids. We need to do more to make it easier for parents to access child care and provide them with the opportunity to get back into the workforce.

Finally, why do you believe it's particularly important for child care to be an issue that transcends party lines, and further, how do you plan to garner support for this bill from your fellow Senators?

Senator Britt: The issue of child care access and affordability isn't political. It's an issue affecting countless American families trying to set their child on a pathway to achieving their American Dream. It's an issue that disproportionately affects women's ability to return to the workplace. And it's an issue that is limiting the growth of Main Street small businesses in every corner of our nation.

We have an obligation to work together to solve nonpartisan challenges like this one in bipartisan fashion. By finding common ground and building consensus, we can support hard working moms and dads across Alabama and Virginia, while tackling America's labor force shortages. Our solution is far from the end all be all, but it is a big step in the right direction that both sides of the aisle can rally around.

Senator Kaine: This is an issue that impacts parents of both parties and all backgrounds. Parents know that child care can set their kids up for success, but the cost is too high and parents are spending a huge chunk of their budget on child care.

The national average annual price of child care was $11,582 in 2023. In addition, employers are struggling to hire the workers they need, and many parents aren't able to get back to work because of a lack of access to child care. Making it easier for parents to access child care will be good for children, families, and our workforce, and Senator Britt and I will keep working together to gain support for our bipartisan legislation.

Learn more about Child Care Availability and Affordability Act and the Child Care Workforce Acthere and here, respectively.

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