Working mother Brandie Johnson sends her two daughters to day care, where they learn new things every day that they might not otherwise.
But, she said, the cost is “outrageous,” with most of her salary going toward child care.
“You know, we have to sit down and say, ‘OK, well, am I going to send my child to day care, where they love to play with their friends, or do I have to pull them out and try and work this out from home?’” Johnson said.
That could change if the federal Build Back Better Act is passed, Rep. Joe Morelle said on Thursday.
The Irondequoit Democrat said on average, families who rely on child care are spending more than 20% of their income to do so.
“It’s an incredible burden on families — both financially and quite frankly, emotionally — as they struggle with all the other burdens they have in their lives,” he said. “And the lack of affordable options makes it prohibitive for parents, especially mothers who are often the primary caregivers of children to remain in their jobs.”
The bill would subsidize child care for families with children younger than 5, which would cost between 0% to 7% of a family’s income based on a sliding scale.
On average, it would save most families about $11,000 per year, Morelle said.
“Money that can now go towards paying for groceries, saving for college, buying a home or saving for retirement -- whatever a family needs to focus on, they would now have 11,000 more dollars to do it,” Morelle said.
Ann Marie Stephan with Rochester Childfirst Network said child care providers are often paid low wages, despite what she says is crucial work that could determine children’s and society’s future success.
She said the funding this legislation could provide would allow providers to pay their workers a livable wage. However, while the bill passed the House last month, it has stalled in the Senate and is unlikely to pass this year.
