“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.

  • @Goodmorningsunshine
    1•1 month ago

    Are you kidding? Childcare benefits the economy. More people in the workforce full time rather than needing to stay home and watch kids, more money in the system than spent on childcare, and a more skilled workforce as people are able to stay in careers longer. It also benefits society as kids are able to have earlier socialization and learning opportunities and have better outcomes growing up.

    • @Ensign_CrabEnglish
      2•1 month ago

      I can see why libertarians oppose it.

        • @Ensign_CrabEnglish
          2•1 month ago

          Yes. They are Republicans who got tired of being taken seriously.

          A libertarian is a person who can throw a dart at a map and tell you what the age of consent is where it lands. Their eyes light up if it lands in international waters.