“These costs are just untenable for an awful lot of families,” the Labor Department found. But while Trump benefited from voters’ economic ire, the politics of child care aren’t cut-and-dried.

Summary

Child care costs for many U.S. families during peak inflation in 2022 ranged from $6,552 to $15,600 per child, comparable to rent, according to Labor Department data.

These high costs strained household budgets, disproportionately impacted women’s workforce participation, and fueled economic dissatisfaction among voters.

While Kamala Harris proposed policies to reduce child care costs, Donald Trump capitalized on broader economic grievances to expand his voter base, despite offering few specifics on addressing the issue.

Pandemic-era federal aid helped stabilize costs but left parents bearing much of the financial burden.

  • The Pantser
    12•6 hours ago

    Yep 10 years ago when my wife was the full time worker and I wanted to work. I would have to have been making $23 per hour to make a profit on working. The cheapest childcare we could find would have me paying childcare costs that exceeded a 40 hour per week check. I would have to pay to have a job. Best I could find at the time was $16.50 so I just elected to save money by not working.