Last updated on: 12/9/2019 11:38:28 AM PST
Should the Federal Government Provide Universal Childcare?
Universal childcare would make child care available to everyone in a low- or no-cost format like a public school system. All of the presidential candidates covered on our site are pro affordable childcare via different programs, but only candidates who support federally funded childcare are considered pro to this question.
Source: Neighbor Schools, "What Is Universal Child Care?," neighborschools.com, Mar. 6, 2019
Pro (Yes)
Pro
Source:
[Editor's Note: Universal childcare is a budget line item in Hawkins' "Socialist Green New Deal Budget."
Source: Howie Hawkins and Jon Rynn, "The Socialist Green New Deal," howiehawkins.us (accessed June 24, 2020) ]
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Con (No)
Con
"As president, Biden will go to bat for American families by... [e]xpanding access to quality, affordable child care through a tax credit of up to $8,000 per family."
Source: Joe Biden, "Women for Biden," joebiden.com (accessed Oct. 15, 2019)
Con
"No. Parents should be empowered to choose what’s best for their children, not bureaucrats. Taxpayers, many of whom forego having children because they can’t afford it, should not be forced to pay for the childcare of other families. My plan to dramatically lower taxes will give parents far more ability to shop around for the childcare of their choice."
Source: Communication from the Jorgensen campaign to ProCon.org on Aug. 26, 2020
Con
"In 2018, President Trump signed into law a $2.4 billion funding increase for the Child Care and Development Fund, providing a total of $8.1 billion to States to fund child care for low-income families....
Tax benefits reduce the price of child care for middle and higher income families....
Ultimately, how families balance work and child rearing is a deeply personal decision. It also has major societal implications in terms of employment and economic growth, and just as importantly, for the long-term outcomes of children. Thus, creating a system that maximizes opportunity without interfering with personal family decisions is a vitally important goal for the economy and society as a whole."
Source: Council of Economic Advisors, "Work and the Cost of Child Care," whitehouse.gov, Feb. 25, 2019
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