tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/american-families-plan-103741/articlesAmerican Families Plan – The Conversation2021-07-14T12:22:30Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1643662021-07-14T12:22:30Z2021-07-14T12:22:30ZWhat is child care insecurity? 2 social scientists explain<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410824/original/file-20210712-71119-amx6rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=20%2C20%2C6689%2C4446&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Child care insecurity can increase stress and anxiety and decrease quality of life. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/tired-young-mother-working-from-home-royalty-free-image/1220413419">Damir Cudic/E+ Collection via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Child care insecurity is a term we’ve come up with to describe <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1044389420929619">limited or uncertain access</a> to adequate child care. </p>
<p>It factors into many <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/birth-rate-american-mothers/2021/06/14/045c4684-c950-11eb-81b1-34796c7393af_story.html">Americans’ decisions</a> whether to even have a child. Parents – mothers especially – often weigh the cost of child care in their decision to return to work. And when a kid has a disability, there may not even be child care options that <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/early-childhood/reports/2020/01/29/479802/child-care-crisis-disproportionately-affects-children-disabilities/">meet the family’s needs</a>.</p>
<p>As researchers who study <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=To4C9YkAAAAJ">how policies and systems</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=9pS6dhUAAAAJ">affect well-being and health</a>, we argue that child care insecurity is a public health issue similar to <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-food-insecurity-152746">food insecurity</a>. </p>
<p>And just as with food insecurity, increasing access is necessary. However, access alone will not address the problem. </p>
<h2>Why child care insecurity matters</h2>
<p>Female caregivers in the U.S. have traditionally borne most of the burden of finding and managing child care and providing care directly. This results in <a href="https://hbr.org/2020/10/womens-career-trajectories-can-be-a-model-for-an-aging-workforce">stalled careers</a>, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/03/millions-of-working-mothers-in-the-us-are-suffering-from-burnout.html">higher stress</a> and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/16/womens-earnings-drop-after-having-a-childbut-mens-do-not.html">lower earnings</a>.</p>
<p>When schools and child care facilities were forced to close or restrict access during the COVID-19 pandemic, <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/working-parents-are-key-to-covid-19-recovery/">millions more American</a> parents and guardians – men and women alike – found themselves suddenly facing child care insecurity. This affected their well-being and mental health.</p>
<p>A group of health psychologists <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.626456">surveyed parents</a> throughout the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. About 4% of the parents reported having high stress levels “before COVID-19.” But by May 2020, that share had ballooned to 22%. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, sociologists who <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/jyvk4/">surveyed and interviewed</a> U.S. mothers in April and May of 2020 found that not having child care affected mothers’ interpersonal interactions – such as increased frustration with their children – and quality of life. </p>
<h2>How common is it?</h2>
<p>In January 2020, 26 million working caregivers in the U.S. “did not have an in-home care option” – whether a parent, grandparent or older sibling – for children 14 years and younger, according to a Rand Corp. <a href="https://www.rand.org/blog/2020/04/parenting-through-the-pandemic-whos-working-whos-caring.html">analysis of data</a> from the U.S. Department of Labor. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/35062">World Bank Report</a> from December 2020 estimated that globally, over 40% of all children who needed quality child care or preschool in 2018 did not have access to it. That’s nearly 350 million kids.</p>
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<p>President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/28/fact-sheet-the-american-families-plan/">has proposed</a> some national policies to address child care insecurity in the U.S. – for example, limiting the percentage of income families need to spend on child care <a href="https://theconversation.com/us-parents-pay-nearly-double-the-affordable-cost-for-child-care-and-preschool-160129">to 7%</a> by providing subsidies to care providers. This would likely improve access.</p>
<p>However, child care insecurity is not always based on economic constraints. The quality of child care, location, hours and access for children with disabilities can all play a role as well. </p>
<p><em>The Conversation U.S. publishes short, accessible explanations of newsworthy subjects by academics in their areas of expertise.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/164366/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cassandra M. Johnson receives funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shailen Singh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Child care insecurity has received much less attention than food insecurity, but it is similarly complex. And affordability is only one part of the problem.Cassandra M. Johnson, Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Foods, Texas State UniversityShailen Singh, Assistant Professor, Department of Organization, Workforce, & Leadership Studies, Texas State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1623142021-06-23T12:24:37Z2021-06-23T12:24:37ZBiden’s goal to permanently boost support for families echoes a failed Nixon proposal from 50 years ago – will it take off this time?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/407716/original/file-20210622-13-17ffxw3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Raising children strains most household budgets.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/man-escorting-young-female-students-from-school-to-home-in-news-photo/1084632220">Universal Images Group Editorial/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In July 2021, households with up to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-treasury-announce-families-of-88-percent-of-children-in-the-us-to-automatically-receive-monthly-payment-of-refundable-child-tax-credit">88% of all U.S. children</a> will get their first of six no-strings-attached monthly payment from the federal government.</p>
<p>The money comes from a temporary expansion of the <a href="https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/what-child-tax-credits">child tax credit</a> in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/millions-of-american-parents-will-soon-get-a-monthly-allowance-4-questions-answered-156834">Biden administration’s US$1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package</a> enacted in March. For one year only, the government has increased the credit from $2,000 for children until they turn 17 to $3,600 for every child under 6 and $3,000 for those ages 6 through 17. It is also making this benefit available to low-income families without any other income and changing the way this money is dispatched.</p>
<p>Families will get monthly payments of either $300 or $250 per child from the Internal Revenue Service through the end of 2021, with the balance distributed at tax time in 2022.</p>
<p>For the first time in U.S. history, the government is establishing an <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/family%20allowance">allowance for families with children</a>, ending the country’s status as an <a href="https://www.oecd.org/els/soc/PF1_3_Family_Cash_Benefits.pdf">outlier among industrialized nations</a> in lacking such a benefit. But as a longtime scholar of <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Leslie-Lenkowsky">welfare policy and civic engagement</a>, who spent years <a href="https://legacy.npr.org/programs/npc/2002/020827.llenkowsky.html">working in the government and think tanks</a> studying controversies over earlier efforts to assist families in similar ways, I question whether the Biden administration will succeed at its <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/06/11/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-child-tax-credit-awareness-day-and-releases-guidance-for-unprecedented-american-rescue-plan-investments-to-support-parents-and-healthy-child-dev/">goal of making this a long-term policy</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/407679/original/file-20210622-16-gvrlp6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="President Biden, waving while standing with Vice President Harris, Sen. Schumer and Rep. Pelosi" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/407679/original/file-20210622-16-gvrlp6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/407679/original/file-20210622-16-gvrlp6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407679/original/file-20210622-16-gvrlp6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407679/original/file-20210622-16-gvrlp6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407679/original/file-20210622-16-gvrlp6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=537&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407679/original/file-20210622-16-gvrlp6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=537&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407679/original/file-20210622-16-gvrlp6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=537&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">President Biden signed into law a COVID-19 relief package on March 12, 2021, which included government payments for most U.S. families with children.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/president-joe-biden-with-vice-president-kamala-harris-news-photo/1231671666">Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Diverging paths</h2>
<p>The rationale behind <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2021/04/12/designing-a-universal-child-allowance-who-can-claim-which-kids/">these allowances</a> is easy to understand.</p>
<p>In theory, <a href="https://www.proquest.com/openview/116a74107013f26982ef953073e5d5ca/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=1817076">workers in an efficient economy should earn what their labor is worth</a>. How many children or other dependents they have to support should not matter to their employers.</p>
<p>All countries also have a collective interest in the well-being of families, such as ensuring enough future doctors, soldiers and other kinds of employees enter the workforce. By subsidizing the costs of raising children, governments or charities can help foot the bill for what a market economy fails to pay for through wages and benefits.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/family-allowances">Beginning in late 19th-century France</a>, where the population had been depleted by a series of wars, both public and private funds sprang up to assist families. Those payments were typically small, but available to all households with children. In the case of privately run plans, benefits would support members of the sponsoring organizations. As the cost of social programs mounted in France and elsewhere during the 20th century, governments started to restrict eligibility to lower-income families.</p>
<p>The United States took a different path.</p>
<p>Initially many states made “<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/845.html">mother’s pension</a>” assistance payments in the early 20th century, which were limited to the families who needed it. </p>
<p>The federal government began to offer a similar kind of aid when the Social Security Act of 1935, the cornerstone of American social policy, launched <a href="https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/public-welfare/aid-to-dependent-children-the-legal-history/">Aid to Dependent Children</a>. This national program made federal funds available to match state spending help children in households without working parents.</p>
<p>In time, as other parts of the Social Security Act, such as <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/u/unemployment-insurance.asp">unemployment insurance</a>, became more comprehensive and generous, government officials and politicians expected fewer families to require this assistance. They believed the program would eventually “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00220612.1972.10671920">wither away</a>.”</p>
<p>That did not happen.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/407677/original/file-20210622-17-16ef3n5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="FDR and his family, in 1935" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/407677/original/file-20210622-17-16ef3n5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/407677/original/file-20210622-17-16ef3n5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407677/original/file-20210622-17-16ef3n5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407677/original/file-20210622-17-16ef3n5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407677/original/file-20210622-17-16ef3n5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=665&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407677/original/file-20210622-17-16ef3n5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=665&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407677/original/file-20210622-17-16ef3n5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=665&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Early in his presidency, Franklin D. Roosevelt, second from right and surrounded by members of his family, established a welfare program for Americans with children facing economic hardship.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/FDRAndFamily1935/6e9f1e139dd8448082265f15bafdbb48/photo">AP Photo</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Ending AFDC</h2>
<p>By the 1960s, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, as it was then called, had become one of the nation’s most controversial social programs.</p>
<p>In times when jobs were plentiful and wages were rising, <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/144689">more households were seeking assistance</a> from it. Moreover, a growing share of these families were needy not because of the death or unemployment of the principal breadwinner, but because they were <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/3004035">headed by single mothers</a> who were separated from their husbands or had not married before having children. They were <a href="https://www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/history/webid-moynihan">disproportionately African American</a> as well.</p>
<p>In 1969, President Richard M. Nixon proposed replacing the program with a “<a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/2095700">Family Assistance Plan</a>.” He was advised by Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a Harvard University professor and future senator from New York who supervised my research when I was a doctoral student there.</p>
<p>A four-person household with children that had no other income, regardless of the number of parents present, would have received $1,600 a year – worth nearly $12,000 today, after adjusting for inflation – with the amount gradually declining as earnings increased. In addition, families remained eligible for other kinds of benefits, such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-fdrs-food-stamps-to-trumps-harvest-boxes-the-history-of-helping-the-poor-get-enough-to-eat-91813">Food Stamps</a> and Medicaid.</p>
<p>Although it was the centerpiece of the Nixon administration’s domestic policy, his Family Assistance Plan <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/30020737">died after a long and acrimonious battle in Congress</a>.</p>
<p>Liberals argued that the benefits proposed for households without any earned income were too small. Conservatives worried that the plan would weaken incentives for low-income people to get paid work. Groups claiming to speak for the poor opposed it, as did members of Congress from the mostly Southern states where a large share of the benefits would have flowed.</p>
<p>In 1996, with the support of then-Senator Joe Biden, Congress abolished Aid to Families with Dependent Children. In its place, it created a program called <a href="https://theconversation.com/welfare-as-we-know-it-now-6-questions-answered-81367">Temporary Assistance for Needy Families</a>, through which states could help low-income households with children for no more than five years. The aim of the legislation was to get the heads of households with children – including single mothers – into the labor force. It was supposed to “<a href="https://www.history.com/news/clinton-1990s-welfare-reform-facts">end welfare as we know it</a>,” as President Bill Clinton said.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/407676/original/file-20210622-22-1tpzgff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="President Nixon, right, speak with Daniel Patrick Moynihan" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/407676/original/file-20210622-22-1tpzgff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/407676/original/file-20210622-22-1tpzgff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407676/original/file-20210622-22-1tpzgff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407676/original/file-20210622-22-1tpzgff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407676/original/file-20210622-22-1tpzgff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407676/original/file-20210622-22-1tpzgff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407676/original/file-20210622-22-1tpzgff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">President Richard Nixon, center, accompanied by Daniel Patrick Moynihan – a member of his Cabinet who wanted most low-income American families with children to get government payments.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/PresidentNixonandDanielPMoynihan/4149e2404320492b8324e08952f377d0/photo">AP Photo</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Will it last more than a year?</h2>
<p>Today, somewhat ironically, the Biden administration has put forth – and Congress has enacted – a program very similar to the <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/nixons-good-deed/oclc/464030709">Nixon administration’s Family Assistance Plan</a>.</p>
<p>The chief difference is that the value of the child tax credit will be <a href="https://www.kiplinger.com/taxes/602431/child-tax-credit-2021-who-gets-3600-will-i-get-monthly-payments-and-other-faqs">phased out for families who earn high incomes</a>. That threshold is set at $112,500 for single parents and $150,000 for married couples. In contrast, <a href="https://www.proquest.com/openview/450d63c4854ed3bf9a909d6552bc13a0/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=1817197">Nixon’s proposed allowances were</a> mainly intended for poor and working-class families with kids.</p>
<p>When Congress begins considering extending the measure to 2025, as the Biden administration wants, I expect to see the same concerns that derailed the Nixon administration’s similar proposal. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/free-money-can-make-life-worse-11624313507">Robert Doar</a>, president of the American Enterprise Institute, his colleague <a href="https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/the-conservative-case-against-child-allowances">Scott Winship</a> and <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/finance/547750-gop-lawmakers-raise-concerns-about-child-tax-credit-expansion">other conservatives</a> have already questioned whether more generous benefits for families could reduce incentives for parents to earn a living.</p>
<p>Some economists predict that the expanded child tax credit, combined with other measures, <a href="https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/103794/2021-poverty-projections-assessing-four-american-rescue-plan-policies_0_0.pdf">will help reduce the child poverty rate</a>. And yet many advocates on behalf of low-income Americans are <a href="https://www.clasp.org/blog/biden-s-child-tax-credit-proposal-would-help-lowest-income-families">wondering whether Biden’s new proposal goes far enough</a> because it would last only through 2025. Like many Democrats in Congress, <a href="https://www.bread.org/library/fact-sheet-permanently-expand-child-tax-credit-reduce-child-hunger">they want it</a> to become a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/26/politics/house-democrats-child-tax-credit-biden-recovery-plan/index.html">permanent feature of the safety net</a>.</p>
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<p>To be sure, even with the 2021 expansion, the child tax credit’s impact will be limited. For example, a single-parent family with three very young children and no income will get $10,800 a year in benefits. Adjusted for inflation, that amounts to a little less money than Nixon proposed distributing to U.S. families with kids half a century ago.</p>
<p>A new chapter in an old debate over family policy is being written. Whether the outcome will be the same this time around will say a lot about how Americans now think about how the government should approach social policies – and society’s obligations to support families.</p>
<p><em>Article corrected to indicate that Moynihan represented New York in the Senate.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/162314/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Leslie Lenkowsky does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Starting in July 2021, most US families will get monthly payments from the IRS of either $250 or $300 per child under 18.Leslie Lenkowsky, Senior Counsellor and Professor Emeritus of Practice in Philanthropic Studies, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, IUPUILicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1601462021-05-18T12:23:22Z2021-05-18T12:23:22ZThe typical child care worker in the US earns less than $12 an hour<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/400624/original/file-20210513-20-1kvhhcj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C0%2C7844%2C5229&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Taking care of little ones is physically demanding work.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/teacher-keshawna-edwards-zips-up-the-coat-of-montana-mason-news-photo/1232802545">Matt Roth for The Washington Post via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/400616/original/file-20210513-20-19npgiq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/400616/original/file-20210513-20-19npgiq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/400616/original/file-20210513-20-19npgiq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/400616/original/file-20210513-20-19npgiq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/400616/original/file-20210513-20-19npgiq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=321&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/400616/original/file-20210513-20-19npgiq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=321&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/400616/original/file-20210513-20-19npgiq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=321&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="attribution"><a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
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<p>The American Families Plan, announced by President Joe Biden in <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/28/fact-sheet-the-american-families-plan/">April 2021</a>, aims to make child care more affordable for parents. Importantly, it also seeks to ensure caregivers are paid a <a href="https://livingwage.mit.edu/">living wage</a> – enough to meet basic needs given the local cost of living. If passed, all workers in child care and pre-K programs that receive federal subsidies would earn at least US$15 per hour. Preschool teachers and child care workers with similar qualifications as kindergarten teachers would be paid in line with what kindergarten teachers earn. </p>
<p>Currently, child care workers who care for infants and toddlers tend to earn much less than those who care for older children.</p>
<p>In 2019, child care workers across the United States earned <a href="https://cscce.berkeley.edu/workforce-index-2020/">an average wage of $11.65</a> per hour. That includes people who worked in child care centers and schools as well as private homes. As a result, in several states, <a href="https://cscce.berkeley.edu/workforce-index-2020/">over 25%</a> of those workers – <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/08/19/903913689/1-in-5-child-care-jobs-were-lost-since-pandemic-started-women-are-affected-most">overwhelmingly women</a> – live at or below the poverty level.</p>
<p>Although early childhood caregivers saw a slight increase in wages in 2020, to <a href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes399011.htm">$12.88 per hour</a>, it was a temporary bump due to some being <a href="https://castro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/-castro-haaland-urge-house-leadership-to-establish-family-care-for-essential-workers-and-vulnerable-family-caregivers-during-covid-19">classified as essential workers</a> or receiving <a href="https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Portals/0/documents/pdf/N/NC_Emergency_Child_Care_Operations_Guidelines_Application_Form_03252020.pdf?ver=2020-03-25-203439-153">hazard pay</a> during the COVID-19 pandemic. </p>
<p>The median annual income for a child care worker is about <a href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes399011.htm">$25,500</a> for 12 months of work, compared to a preschool teacher’s median salary of just under <a href="https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/preschool-teachers.htm">$32,000</a> for, often, 10 months. A kindergarten teacher, meanwhile, earns roughly <a href="https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/kindergarten-and-elementary-school-teachers.htm#tab-5">$58,000</a>, typically for 10 months.</p>
<h2>Critical development years</h2>
<p>As experts in <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=-jT5usEAAAAJ&hl=en">child development</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=V-FwbJkAAAAJ&hl=en">infant and toddler mental health</a>, we know how important high-quality care is for a child’s development. </p>
<p>A child’s brain develops rapidly from ages 0-5 when the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/35081509">foundational structures</a> for learning and human interaction are established. Research shows that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579407000326">sensitive and stimulating caregiving</a>, where materials and experiences are carefully selected to engage a child’s senses, set off a series of connections between neurons in their brain. </p>
<p>A caregiver helps a child thrive by providing consistent attention, <a href="https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/serve-and-return/">back-and-forth communication</a> and emotional responsiveness – during routine times of diapering and feeding, as well as during planned activities. </p>
<p>Failure to respond or responses that are provided by a primary caregiver experiencing <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn.2018.1">higher levels of anxiety</a> have been shown to have an impact on the way <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/wcs.1387">the child’s brain develops</a>. </p>
<h2>Impact of low wages</h2>
<p>According to the Center for the Study of Child Care at University of California Berkeley, <a href="https://cscce.berkeley.edu/workforce-index-2020/">caregivers in only 10 states</a> are paid what’s considered a living wage. As a result, nearly half of this workforce nationwide depends on public income support programs like food stamps or Medicaid.</p>
<p>The salary inequities can’t be explained away by lower levels of academic training or easier workdays. Early childhood educators with bachelor’s degrees earn <a href="https://cscce.berkeley.edu/workforce-index-2020/the-early-educator-workforce/early-educator-pay-economic-insecurity-across-the-states/">as little as half</a> of what K-8 teachers with the same credentials earn. </p>
<p>And whether caregivers are sitting on the floor playing with a child or lifting them into highchairs, the job is physically demanding – especially <a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/child-care-ratio-by-state">in states</a> like Florida and Texas where one caregiver may be responsible for 10 or more toddlers. Plus, the average toddler weighs <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/clinical_charts.htm">over 25 pounds</a>.</p>
<p>Low wages, few benefits, stressful work conditions and feeling like their work isn’t valued are factors affecting the <a href="https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/product-files/Teacher_Turnover_REPORT.pdf">high turnover rates</a> and staffing shortage in child care.</p>
<p>A shortage of qualified staff hurts employers, but it also affects the young children who depend on them for care. Continuously changing caregivers influences quality of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.21666">interaction and attachment</a>. During such a critical period of growth in a child’s life, when development depends on the caregiver’s attention to a child, we believe caregivers should be paid a wage that makes it possible for them to afford health care – including mental health services, should they be needed – and minimizes distraction from worries about their own economic stability.</p>
<p>[<em>Like what you’ve read? Want more?</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=likethis">Sign up for The Conversation’s daily newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/160146/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Melissa Jozwiak previously received funding from State of New Mexico PreK for universal prek.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Carl Sheperis does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Biden administration wants workers in child care and pre-K programs to earn at least $15 per hour.Melissa M. Jozwiak, Associate Professor of Early Childhood, Texas A&M University-San AntonioCarl Sheperis, Professor of Mental Health Counseling, Texas A&M University-San AntonioLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1603092021-05-12T12:47:24Z2021-05-12T12:47:24ZPresident Biden’s plan for free universal preschool – 5 questions answered<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/399042/original/file-20210505-13-nyap67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C0%2C7863%2C5372&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">High-quality preschools are both play-based and academic.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/preschooler-korey-hill-works-on-an-alphabet-puzzle-at-news-photo/1231590878?adppopup=true">Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>From <a href="https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/pre-k">New York City</a> to <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/8/5/20748833/washington-dc-pre-k-free-public-universal">Washington, D.C.</a> and <a href="https://hechingerreport.org/why-oklahomas-public-preschools-are-some-of-the-best-in-the-country/">Oklahoma</a> to <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2021/05/05/universal-pre-k-colorado-2023-polis/">Colorado</a>, a handful of U.S. cities and states have opted to fund universal preschool for their youngest residents. That benefit may soon be available to every 3-year-old and 4-year-old across the country. </p>
<p>Dr. Christina Weiland, associate professor at the University of Michigan, studies how early childhood programs and public policies <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=tY0HEzEAAAAJ&hl=en">impact children’s development</a>. Here, she answers five questions parents and caregivers may have about the Biden administration’s <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/28/fact-sheet-the-american-families-plan/">plan for universal preschool</a>.</p>
<h2>1. What exactly is Biden proposing?</h2>
<p>The proposal would mean that every kid in America could, if their family wants them to, attend a publicly supported preschool program starting at age 3. Currently, children of wealthy families <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/do-we-already-have-universal-preschool/">overwhelmingly go to preschool</a>, and families with middle and low incomes often really struggle to find slots and to <a href="https://www.russellsage.org/publications/cradle-kindergarten-2ndEdition">access the same quality of programs</a>. </p>
<p>The proposal also includes funding for what the Biden administration is calling “high-quality and developmentally appropriate curriculum” as well as on-the-job <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858418757735">coaching for teachers</a>. </p>
<p>And finally, the teachers in these new universal preschool programs would be paid in line with K-12 teachers, if they have comparable qualifications, and a minimum of US$15 per hour otherwise. </p>
<p>In some places there’s a really large gap in terms of funding for teacher pay. For example, in Michigan, where I live, even though we require the same education background, we pay public preschool teachers a <a href="https://www.bridgemi.com/talent-education/michigans-game-changing-preschool-program-untenable-without-more-funding">significant amount less</a> than their K-12 counterparts. That <a href="https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373720985340">fuels turnover issues</a>, which also means some of the investments to improve preschool <a href="https://www.russellsage.org/publications/cradle-kindergarten-2ndEdition">end up being wasted</a>.</p>
<h2>2. Where will the preschool programs be located?</h2>
<p>Although the details haven’t been specified yet, it’s a safe bet they will be located in public schools, community-based preschools and perhaps some home-based child care programs, just as almost all state-funded public schools programs are.</p>
<h2>3. What does a ‘high-quality’ curriculum mean?</h2>
<p>There’s often a false dichotomy that a preschool is either “academic” or “play-based.” But high-quality preschools are both play-based and academic – because that’s how young children learn, through play. A really good curriculum involves kids having fun, using different materials and using their bodies. The key is that a good preschool curriculum is also intentional. That means that new concepts and skills are presented in an order that matches how young children learn and develop. They also are designed so that teachers can meet individual children where they are, at their developmental level.</p>
<p>The most effective preschool curricula are developed by experts in a particular area – such as literacy – and are designed with a set of fun, play-based activities that match the science of how kids learn early skills. A current problem is that most public preschool and Head Start programs in the U.S. use more general curricula that are fun but <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6095675/">not aligned with this science</a>. Their activities don’t necessarily follow the predictable order in which young children learn new concepts and skills. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/399046/original/file-20210505-15-116fk3x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Line of pre-school students cross a street" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/399046/original/file-20210505-15-116fk3x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/399046/original/file-20210505-15-116fk3x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399046/original/file-20210505-15-116fk3x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399046/original/file-20210505-15-116fk3x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399046/original/file-20210505-15-116fk3x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399046/original/file-20210505-15-116fk3x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399046/original/file-20210505-15-116fk3x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">It’s common for preschool teachers to be paid significantly less than kindergarten teachers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/line-of-pre-school-children-crossing-street-with-teacher-news-photo/1298369896">Joan Slatkin/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images</a></span>
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<h2>4. Can you explain the ‘targeted’ versus ‘universal’ arguments around funding for preschool?</h2>
<p>Those who advocate for a targeted approach argue that if people can afford to pay for private preschool for their children, those public dollars are better spent on a different need. They point to evidence that children from less advantaged backgrounds benefit from attending preschool <a href="https://www.fcd-us.org/the-evidence-base-on-preschool">more than their wealthier peers</a>, so they argue that targeted programs offer more bang for the buck.</p>
<p>[<em>Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/weekly-highlights-61?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=weeklybest">Sign up for our weekly newsletter</a>.]</p>
<p>On the universal side, there is evidence that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12099">all children benefit from high-quality public preschool</a> and that children from families with low incomes <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w23215">learn less in targeted programs</a>. There are also folks who argue that just sorting out who’s eligible and who’s not comes with bureaucratic costs. And whenever there are bureaucratic hurdles for any program, some families – particularly those with children who might benefit most – <a href="https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373720922237">will be left out</a>.</p>
<h2>5. Is universal preschool a partisan issue?</h2>
<p>It may become a partisan issue getting the Biden administration’s plan through Congress, but at the state and local levels, universal preschool is not a red or blue issue. For example, Oklahoma and West Virginia have long offered a preschool seat to all their 4-year-olds, and they are <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/politics/united-states-political-geography/">deeply red states</a>. </p>
<p>Colorado voters in 2020 approved a <a href="https://co.chalkbeat.org/2020/11/3/21548349/proposition-ee-colorado-2020-election-results">cigarette and vape tax</a> to fund universal free preschool for 4-year-olds statewide starting in 2023. And voters in cities like <a href="https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/34m-for-preschool-funding-approved-dayton/2yEFDRakLzN6Gs1FVhg7tM/">Dayton</a>, Ohio, <a href="https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2016/11/08/issue-44-school-levy-takes-strong-early-lead/93169434/">Cincinnati</a>, <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattles-600-million-plus-education-levy-leads-by-a-wide-margin/">Seattle</a> and <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2020/11/universal-preschool-measure-passes-meaning-new-income-tax-for-multnomah-countys-highest-earners.html">Portland, Oregon</a> have approved ballot initiatives to tax themselves to offer free preschool. </p>
<p>There’s a lot of will and <a href="http://growamericastronger.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/FINAL_FFYF-National-Results_071414.pdf?a63b61">bipartisan support</a> across the country for these kinds of programs. People recognize the benefits of attending preschool, the high costs that put preschool out of reach for many working families, and working parents’ needs and preferences for a stimulating, safe environment for their young children.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/160309/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christina J. Weiland receives grant funding from Institute of Education Sciences, the Heising-Simons Foundation, the Foundation for Child Development, and the Spencer Foundation.</span></em></p>An early childhood education expert explains what’s in the proposal and why it’s not really a partisan issue.Christina J. Weiland, Associate Professor of Education, University of MichiganLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1601292021-05-11T12:49:53Z2021-05-11T12:49:53ZUS parents pay nearly double the ‘affordable’ cost for child care and preschool<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/399256/original/file-20210506-20-2v8c2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C24%2C8066%2C5345&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Child care and preschool are a strain on family budgets.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/cash-cain-brielle-kelly-and-journee-simon-play-together-n-news-photo/1232619181">Matt Roth for The Washington Post via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/399252/original/file-20210506-23-18i5q7o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/399252/original/file-20210506-23-18i5q7o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/399252/original/file-20210506-23-18i5q7o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399252/original/file-20210506-23-18i5q7o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399252/original/file-20210506-23-18i5q7o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399252/original/file-20210506-23-18i5q7o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=321&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399252/original/file-20210506-23-18i5q7o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=321&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399252/original/file-20210506-23-18i5q7o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=321&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<p>President Joe Biden wants to <a href="https://www.childcareaware.org/our-issues/research/the-us-and-the-high-price-of-child-care-2019/">make child care more affordable</a> across the U.S. </p>
<p>Under his <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/28/fact-sheet-the-american-families-plan/">American Families Plan</a>, proposed in April 2021, the federal government would subsidize the costs of child care to the tune of US$225 billion annually. Lower-income families could access child care free of charge, while middle-class families would pay no more than 7% of their income.</p>
<p>Additionally, the plan seeks to make <a href="https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/biden-pitches-plan-to-expand-universal-pre-k-free-school-meal-programs-teacher-training/2021/04">free, high-quality preschool</a> available for all 3- and 4-year-olds.</p>
<p>Almost <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/parenting/day-care-cost-yougov-survey.html">60% of parents</a> say preschool and day care expenses are a financial strain. Currently, child care eats up <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/early-childhood/reports/2019/06/20/471141/working-families-spending-big-money-child-care/">14% of the incomes</a> of middle-class working families – for example, those with a household income of $50,000-$100,000 for a family of four – according to the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank. For lower-income families, the share <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/early-childhood/reports/2019/06/20/471141/working-families-spending-big-money-child-care/">rises to 35%</a>. </p>
<p>As a scholar who studies <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Jc-a1IwAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">government support for working families</a> in different countries, I know that the United States <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-us-is-stingier-with-child-care-and-maternity-leave-than-the-rest-of-the-world-94770">spends substantially less</a> on early education and child care than comparable nations. While the U.S. spends approximately <a href="https://www.oecd.org/els/soc/PF3_1_Public_spending_on_childcare_and_early_education.pdf">$2,500 a year</a> on child care and early education per child, the average in Europe is $4,700. Some countries, including Norway and Sweden, spend more than $10,000. </p>
<h2>Impact of limited funding</h2>
<p>Given the <a href="https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/reports/covid-19-impact-childcare">devastating effects</a> of the pandemic on child care in the U.S., as part of the 2021 American Rescue Plan the federal government has added <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/15/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-american-rescue-plan-funding-to-rescue-the-child-care-industry-so-the-economy-can-recover/">$39 billion</a> to support child care providers, and an additional $15 billion in flexible funding for states to make child care more affordable. </p>
<p>This is in addition to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/21/covid-relief-child-care-10-billion-dollars.html">$10 billion</a> provided as part of a December 2020 COVID-19 relief package. Yet these one-time infusions <a href="https://theconversation.com/biden-administrations-39-billion-child-care-strategy-5-questions-answered-159119">can’t solve</a> the long-term lack of child care funding. </p>
<p>Federal spending is usually so limited that it reaches relatively few children. For example, the <a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ/fact-sheet">Child Care and Development Block Grant Act</a> provides federal funding to states that provide child care subsidies for low-income families with children under 13. Yet only <a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/system/files/pdf/260361/CY2015ChildCareSubsidyEligibility.pdf">15% of the nearly 14 million children</a> who are eligible for these subsidies actually benefit from them. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.childcare.gov/consumer-education/head-start-and-early-head-start">Early Head Start and Head Start</a> are free, federally funded programs that promote school readiness for children ages 3-5 from low-income families. Early Head Start serves only 11% of eligible children, and Head Start serves <a href="https://www.nhsa.org/national-head-start-fact-sheets/">36% of eligible children</a>. Despite <a href="https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/27331/412343-Child-Care-Choices-of-Low-Income-Working-Families.PDF">demand for Head Start services</a>, <a href="https://nieer.org/headstart">inadequate funding limits</a> how many kids the program can serve. </p>
<p>In other words, most working families cannot rely on these programs. </p>
<h2>Benefits of subsidies</h2>
<p>While the roughly <a href="https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/about-us/article/head-start-program-facts-fiscal-year-2019">$10 billion</a> the federal government spends annually on Head Start and <a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ/data/ccdf-expenditures-overview-fy-2019-all-appropriation-years">$5 billion</a> on other child care programs may seem expensive, spending on early childhood education pays <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2117807?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents">large dividends</a> and <a href="https://equitablegrowth.org/research-paper/public-investments-in-education-can-spur-equitable-growth-pay-for-themselves-and-create-jobs-for-a-stronger-economic-recovery/">boosts economic growth</a> – effectively generating more revenue than the programs cost. </p>
<p>Research <a href="https://www.nhsa.org/knowledge-center/center-for-policy-data-and-research/facts-and-impacts/">consistently shows</a> that children enrolled in early education programs are more likely to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.4673">go to college</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737027003245">earn more money</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3386/w22993">have better health</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737027003245">not receive public assistance</a>. </p>
<p>Indeed, a 2016 study shows that every $1 the government spent on high-quality early childhood education programs in North Carolina led to a <a href="https://doi.org/10.3386/w22993">$7 benefit</a> to the economy. More money spent on child care means less spent on other government benefits like unemployment insurance and Medicaid.</p>
<h2>Effective models for pre-K</h2>
<p>Biden’s American Families Plan also seeks to build on the work of successful <a href="https://nieer.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/YB2017_Executive-Summary.pdf">state-funded preschool programs</a>. Florida, the District of Columbia, Oklahoma and Vermont have adopted <a href="https://www.ecs.org/how-states-fund-pre-k-a-primer-for-policymakers/">nearly universal pre-K</a> for 4-year-olds, and some other <a href="https://www.tn.gov/education/early-learning/voluntary-pre-k.html">states</a>, <a href="https://www.wakesmartstart.org/families/apply-to-wake-pre-k/apply/">counties</a> and <a href="https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/pre-k">cities</a> have begun to build these programs too. Universal pre-K programs are also being expanded to include <a href="https://dcps.dc.gov/ece">3-year-olds</a>. </p>
<p>These programs work. For example, researchers studied the children who enrolled in the high-quality pre-K program in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as 4-year-olds after they reached middle school. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.22023">They found</a> the pre-K alumni had better math skills, took more honors courses and were less likely to be held back in school than 4-year-olds who did not take part in the program. </p>
<p>Yet as of 2021 <a href="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/edtrustmain/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/05162154/Young-Learners-Missed-Opportunities.pdf">relatively few U.S. children</a> can attend high-quality preschool. Wealthier families are more likely to enroll their kids in <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2017101rev">licensed child care centers</a>, which often have an early education component. This reinforces the <a href="https://www.epi.org/publication/its-time-for-an-ambitious-national-investment-in-americas-children/">achievement gap</a> between <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-child-care-costs-more-than-college-tuition-and-how-to-make-it-more-affordable-92396">children</a> from poorer and wealthier families.</p>
<p>Based on all the evidence available, I have no doubt that higher government spending on early education and child care could dramatically change the lives of working families, improve the long-term life trajectories for many Americans and <a href="https://www.epi.org/publication/its-time-for-an-ambitious-national-investment-in-americas-children/">strengthen the U.S. economy</a>. </p>
<p>[<em>Insight, in your inbox each day.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=insight">You can get it with The Conversation’s email newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/160129/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joya Misra receives funding from the National Science Foundation and Washington Center for Equitable Growth. </span></em></p>The federal government spends about US$2,500 a year on child care and early education per child under 5, about half of the European average.Joya Misra, Professor of Sociology & Public Policy, UMass AmherstLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1598972021-04-29T19:12:49Z2021-04-29T19:12:49Z82% of Americans want paid maternity leave – making it as popular as chocolate<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397674/original/file-20210428-19-tmjqes.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C30%2C5155%2C2276&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Most U.S. parents who take time off work to tend to newborns currently use unpaid leave.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/katie-patel-holds-her-3-month-old-daughter-lucy-as-she-news-photo/1207641553">Whitney Curti/The Washington Post via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-center zoomable">
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<p>The United States is <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-us-is-stingier-with-child-care-and-maternity-leave-than-the-rest-of-the-world-94770">the only wealthy nation</a> that doesn’t guarantee paid leave to mothers after they give birth or adopt a child. The vast majority of Americans would like to see that change. </p>
<p>According to a <a href="https://today.yougov.com/topics/economy/articles-reports/2021/04/15/mothers-fathers-parental-leave-poll">YouGov poll of 21,000 people conducted between March 25 and April 1, 2021</a>, 82% of Americans think employees should be able to take paid maternity leave, including for adoption. That level of support makes this benefit about as <a href="https://www.candyindustry.com/articles/88414-report-more-than-80-percent-of-adults-will-consume-chocolate-this-year">popular as chocolate</a>. In fact, more Americans want to see paid parental leave in place than would like the government to refrain from cutting their <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/03/21/retirement-social-security-and-long-term-care/">Social Security benefits</a>. </p>
<p>President Joe Biden’s proposed <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/28/fact-sheet-the-american-families-plan/">US$1.8 trillion package of new and expanded benefits</a>, which requires congressional approval, would eventually make it possible for all workers to take up to <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-bidens-paid-leave-proposal-would-benefit-workers-their-families-and-their-employers-too-159880">12 weeks of paid family leave totaling as much as $4,000 per month</a>. This leave would be for mothers and fathers alike, as well as caring for yourself or another loved one.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=NzwC_FQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">scholars who have extensively studied</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=6ayGbAcAAAAJ&hl=en">paid leave</a>, we have been struck by the persistence of Americans’ positive attitudes toward this benefit.</p>
<p>In our <a href="https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/hd4ct">newly released study</a> about attitudes among U.S. adults regarding paid leave based on data from 2012, 82% of Americans supported parents receiving paid leave – a proportion that’s identical to the recent YouGov poll. </p>
<p>Repeatedly, since then, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/03/23/americans-widely-support-paid-family-and-medical-leave-but-differ-over-specific-policies/">polls have found</a> that <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/27/majority-of-americans-support-progressive-policies-such-as-paid-maternity-leave-free-college.html">at least 80%</a> of Americans support paid maternity leave.</p>
<p>In an era of <a href="https://theconversation.com/political-polarization-is-about-feelings-not-facts-120397">extreme political polarization</a>, it is astounding that so many Americans can agree on anything. Strong support is even apparent across the political spectrum: <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/27/majority-of-americans-support-progressive-policies-such-as-paid-maternity-leave-free-college.html">73% of Republicans, 83% of independents and 94% of Democrats</a> back the policy. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/fact-sheet/paid-family-leave-and-sick-days-in-the-u-s/">Nine states</a> and Washington, D.C. have their own paid family leave programs, and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal-paid-parental-leave/2020/09/30/ac8e36c8-0335-11eb-b7ed-141dd88560ea_story.html">federal workers</a> got paid leave in 2020. But only <a href="https://www.bls.gov/ncs/ebs/benefits/2020/employee-benefits-in-the-united-states-march-2020.pdf">21% of U.S. workers</a> can take paid parental leave. The lack of a federal paid leave policy that covers all employees results in the current patchwork of different policies that are difficult to understand and generally not available to most families.</p>
<p>Our research suggests that one reason why paid leave policies have not been more widespread in the U.S. is that Americans are hesitant to support government programs that may require tax hikes. For instance, slightly fewer than half of Americans endorsed using some government funding for paid leave in 2012. Yet, <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/news/2021/02/05/495504/quick-facts-paid-family-medical-leave/">there is evidence</a> that this resistance has been fading, and <a href="https://paidleave.us/state-treasurers">employers are becoming more supportive</a> of these policies as well. </p>
<p>Support for paid leave for fathers used to be relatively low. About 50% of Americans, for example, endorsed paid leave for fathers in the 2012 survey data we reviewed. With <a href="https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/wj2p6">more active fathering</a> gaining popularity since then, support for <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/03/23/americans-widely-support-paid-family-and-medical-leave-but-differ-over-specific-policies/">paid paternity leave</a> has been rising. Sixty-eight percent of those surveyed by YouGov in early 2021 backed paid leave for moms and dads alike.</p>
<p>Years of research underscores the benefits of paid <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/healthier-minds-happier-world/202003/the-benefits-paid-maternity-leave-maternal-and-child">maternity leave</a> for women and their families. Our research has demonstrated that when fathers take paternity leave, they tend to develop <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-019-01050-y">better relationships with their kids</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/soz014">partners</a>, become <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-018-0994-5">more actively involved in parenting</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047279419000928">get divorced less frequently</a>.</p>
<p>Given that Americans have wanted paid leave for a long time and its benefits are increasingly clear, we believe that a national paid leave policy that covers all parents is an important step to improving the quality of life in America.</p>
<p>[<em>Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/weekly-highlights-61?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=weeklybest">Sign up for our weekly newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/159897/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Knoester received relevant funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD), Award R03HD087875.
. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard J. Petts received research funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD), Award R03HD087875. Content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.</span></em></p>Polls have consistently found robust support for this benefit, with a growing share of the public approving of paid time off for dads.Chris Knoester, Associate Professor of Sociology, The Ohio State UniversityRichard J. Petts, Professor of Sociology, Ball State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1598802021-04-29T12:22:39Z2021-04-29T12:22:39ZHow Biden’s paid leave proposal would benefit workers, their families and their employers too<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397661/original/file-20210428-13-c6h85h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4994%2C2882&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Making ends meet when you have a newborn is easier with paid family leave.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/geri-andre-major-holds-her-son-maverick-2-1-2-weeks-on-news-photo/1215007355">John Moore/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The Biden administration is proposing a massive expansion of federal benefits through a 10-year <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/28/politics/american-families-plan/index.html">US$1.8 trillion package</a> that includes new spending on <a href="https://theconversation.com/biden-administrations-39-billion-child-care-strategy-5-questions-answered-159119">child care</a>, the continuation of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/millions-of-american-parents-will-soon-get-a-monthly-allowance-4-questions-answered-156834">expanded child tax credit</a> and more robust <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-steps-the-governments-taking-toward-covid-19-relief-could-help-fight-hunger-152520">nutrition programs</a>. Notably, it would introduce a new federal paid family leave benefit costing an estimated $225 billion over the next decade. If it is fully phased in as proposed, workers could get up to $4,000 a month for a total of 12 weeks in paid leave to care for a newborn, another loved one or themselves.</em></p>
<p><em>The Conversation U.S. asked <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Jc-a1IwAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">Joya Misra</a>, a sociologist who studies how public policies influence inequality, four questions about paid leave in the U.S.</em></p>
<h2>1. How much of a change would this be?</h2>
<p>Federal law currently guarantees many employed Americans the right to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid job-protected leave to care for family members through the <a href="https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WHD/legacy/files/whdfs28a.pdf">Family and Medical Leave Act</a>. Because of eligibility restrictions, <a href="https://www.diversitydatakids.org/research-library/data-visualization/unequal-access-fmla-leave-persists">less than half of all U.S. workers</a> can technically access this benefit. Even fewer of those who are eligible <a href="https://www.clasp.org/publications/fact-sheet/paid-family-and-medical-leave-critical-low-wage-workers-and-their-families">can afford</a> to take advantage of it.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/40204457">U.S. is truly exceptional</a> in this regard.</p>
<p>Employed women get <a href="https://worldpolicycenter.org/policies/is-paid-leave-available-for-mothers-of-infants">paid maternity leave</a> in <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-us-is-stingier-with-child-care-and-maternity-leave-than-the-rest-of-the-world-94770">almost every nation</a> in the world. Many countries also provide workers with paid leave to care for their ailing <a href="https://worldpolicycenter.org/policies/is-paid-leave-available-specifically-for-adult-family-members-health-needs/is-paid-leave-available-specifically-for-elderly-parents-health-needs">parents, partners</a> or other relatives who need care, which is what the Biden administration is proposing. </p>
<p>Nine states, including <a href="https://www.edd.ca.gov/disability/paid_family_leave.htm">California</a> and <a href="https://ctpaidleave.org/s/?language=en_US">Connecticut</a>, and the District of Columbia already <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/paid-family-and-medical-leave-by-state-5089907">offer some form of paid family leave</a>. Their track records provide <a href="https://www.nationalpartnership.org/our-work/resources/economic-justice/paid-leave/first-impressions-comparing-state-paid-family-leave-programs-in-their-first-years.pdf">strong evidence</a> regarding the advantages of paid – as opposed to unpaid – family leave.</p>
<h2>2. How would Biden’s paid leave plan benefit workers?</h2>
<p>When workers need to care for a family member with an illness, or a new child, they often find themselves <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/reports/2016/09/22/143877/the-cost-of-inaction/">out of a job</a>. Researchers have found that the lack of paid leave leads to at least $20.6 billion in lost wages per year. Paid family leave especially helps <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13668803.2019.1635436">low-income U.S. workers</a> stay employed when they need it most. In states that fund paid leave, women are <a href="https://econpapers.repec.org/paper/amuwpaper/2019-07.htm">20% less likely</a> to quit their jobs after having a baby. </p>
<p>Only <a href="https://www.bls.gov/ncs/ebs/factsheet/family-leave-benefits-fact-sheet.htm">16% of Americans with private sector jobs</a> currently get paid leave through their employer; most of them work for big companies like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-parental-leave-policies-from-large-us-companies-2019-6#este-lauder-employees-have-20-weeks-to-take-off-10">Facebook and American Express</a>. </p>
<p>Some public-sector workers, but not all, can access paid leave, including those benefiting from a <a href="https://www.commerce.gov/hr/paid-parental-leave-federal-employees">federal paid parental leave policy</a> adopted in October 2020.</p>
<p>Many employees who can technically take unpaid leave can’t do that without <a href="https://theconversation.com/taking-advantage-of-unpaid-leave-can-increase-the-chances-that-workers-will-face-economic-hardship-129163">experiencing financial hardship</a>. In states with paid leave, evidence suggests that those policies make it easier for workers to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13668803.2019.1704398">financially weather a birth, an adoption or a short-term health crisis</a>.</p>
<h2>3. How would employers benefit?</h2>
<p>Researchers have found that paid leave is good for business.</p>
<p>It increases <a href="https://www.russellsage.org/research/reports/future-of-work/leaves-that-pay">worker retention, productivity and loyalty</a>, while also allowing smaller businesses to compete more fairly with big companies. Public opinion polls and surveys have long found that <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/03/23/americans-widely-support-paid-family-and-medical-leave-but-differ-over-specific-policies/">most Americans</a>, including small-business owners, <a href="https://smallbusinessmajority.org/our-research/workforce/small-businesses-support-paid-family-leave-programs">support paid family leave</a>. </p>
<p>For example, nearly all businesses surveyed about the effects of the <a href="https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6bm118ss">California paid leave program</a>, adopted in 2004, said that the program had either a positive effect or no noticeable impact on productivity, profits, retention and morale. <a href="https://siepr.stanford.edu/research/publications/paid-family-leave-policies">Employee turnover</a> fell in California once it enacted its paid leave policy.</p>
<p>Other states have seen similar results.</p>
<p>One year after <a href="https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/77474">Rhode Island adopted paid leave</a> in 2018, most employers there supported the policy. <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w28672">New York employers are also enthusiastic</a>, partly because paid leave makes it easier to deal with employee absences. In <a href="https://bloustein.rutgers.edu/njbia-the-impact-of-paid-family-leave-on-nj-businesses/">New Jersey, most employers</a> said they experienced no change in their profits, performance or productivity after the adoption of that state’s paid leave policy, which they say was easy to implement.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2018/beyond-bls/labor-force-participation-and-employment-rates-declining-for-prime-age-men-and-women.htm">U.S. workforce participation has been decreasing</a> for years, especially for women. Comparing the United States to Canada, some researchers estimate that with more access to paid leave and affordable child care, as many as <a href="https://www.frbsf.org/economic-research/publications/economic-letter/2018/november/why-are-us-workers-not-participating/">5 million more workers</a> could enter the U.S. labor force – boosting the economy. </p>
<h2>4. Is the Biden administration’s estimate of the cost realistic?</h2>
<p>The Biden administration estimates that its proposed paid leave program will cost <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/28/paid-leave-of-up-to-4000-a-month-for-12-weeks-part-of-biden-proposal.html">$225 billion over the next decade</a>. I think that this is a reasonable expectation, as state-based paid leave programs have not been very expensive. </p>
<p>In most states, paid family leave has been funded through <a href="https://search.proquest.com/openview/eb487862db7450354f05099d82568487/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=34391">employee payroll taxes</a>, though some states jointly fund the program between employees and employers. Funding through a payroll tax spreads the cost across millions of workers and employers. </p>
<p>However, at this point, Biden seeks to fund this program and others through <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/bidens-first-speech-to-congress-full-text-11619659158">taxes on people who earn more than $400,000 per year</a> and corporations. </p>
<p>The nonprofit <a href="https://www.nationalpartnership.org/our-work/economic-justice/paid-leave.html">National Partnership for Women and Families</a> estimates that someone earning the median U.S. income, currently around <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEPAINUSA672N">$36,000 per year</a>, would pay about $1.48 per week, or $76.85 annually, to fund this program. In Massachusetts, where I live, workers pay no more than <a href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/paid-family-and-medical-leave-pfml-fact-sheet#how-does-pfml-work-and-how-much-does-it-cost?-">38 cents</a> per every $100 that they earn to fund paid the state’s paid leave program. Self-employed workers can opt into this system. </p>
<h2>5. How much family leave is parental versus for other kinds of care?</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.edd.ca.gov/Disability/Paid_Family_leave.htm">In California</a>, about half of all paid family leave claims are for new mothers, about one-third are for new fathers and the rest involve care for other family members – a seriously ill older child, a parent or in-law, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse or registered domestic partner. </p>
<p>Providing paid leave for new parents could have a big impact, as currently most U.S. women lack <a href="https://www.nationalpartnership.org/our-work/economic-justice/paid-leave.html">paid maternity leave</a> and even fewer men can take time off to welcome a new baby. That’s unfortunate, in my view, because <a href="https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/204-the-child-development-case-for-a-national-paid-family-and-medical-leave-program">paid leave</a> is associated with better health outcomes for both mothers and children, less stressed families, greater connection to employers and greater economic security for working families. </p>
<p>I believe that federal paid leave to care for relatives is crucial, given the <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-life-expectancies-rise-so-are-expectations-for-healthy-aging-102388">aging population</a> in the U.S. and the growing number of workers who need time off to care for aging family members. With <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-than-1-in-5-americans-are-taking-care-of-their-elderly-ill-and-disabled-relatives-and-friends-138246">1 in 5 adults</a> caring for another adult, many of whom are shouldering financial burdens as a result, a federal paid family leave policy would make a big difference. </p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joya Misra receives funding from the National Science Foundation and Washington Center for Equitable Growth. </span></em></p>If the plan is fully phased in as proposed, workers could get up to $4,000 a month for a total of 12 weeks in paid leave to care for a newborn, another loved one or themselves within 10 years.Joya Misra, Professor of Sociology & Public Policy, UMass AmherstLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.