WASHINGTON – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is backing the Child Care for Working Families Act to ensure families across America can find and afford the high-quality child care they need.
“As childcare becomes increasingly unaffordable, Arizona families are getting crushed by the cost,” said Senator Gallego. “This bill would cap what working families pay, expand access to high-quality care, and set children up for success. That’s what being pro-family is about.”
The cost of child care nationwide continues to rise, and instead of helping tackle it, President Trump is exacerbating the affordability crisis. The average cost of child care is now $13,128—a 29% increase since 2020 that outpaces inflation. In 49 states and the District of Columbia, the average annual costs of child care for two children exceeds median rent—and in 41 states and the District of Columbia, the cost of care for one infant exceeds in-state university tuition. The crisis costs the U.S. economy over $100 billion each year.
At the same time, Trump has gutted oversight of and support for the federal child care office, held up child care funding to states, held up Head Start funding, and now created massive holes in states’ budgets with the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—which may well force states to scale back on their own investments in child care. While two-thirds of Americans oppose Republicans’ budget bill that President Trump signed into law earlier this month, over three-quarters of Americans support increased investment to help families afford child care.
To tackle the child care crisis head-on, the Child Care for Working Families Act will:
- Make child care affordable for working families.
- The typical family earning the state median income will pay less than $15 a day for child care.
- No working family will pay more than seven percent of their income on child care.
- Families earning below 85% of state median income will pay nothing at all for child care.
- If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
- Improve the quality and supply of child care for all children and expand families’ child care options by:
- Addressing child care deserts by providing grants to help open new child care providers in underserved communities.
- Providing grants to cover start-up and licensing costs to help establish new providers.
- Increasing child care options for children who receive care during non-traditional hours.
- Supporting child care for children who are dual-language learners, children who are experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.
- Support higher wages for child care workers.
- Child care workers would be paid a living wage and achieve parity with elementary school teachers who have similar credentials and experience.
- Child care subsidies would cover the cost of providing high-quality care.
- Dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K.
- States would receive funding to establish and expand a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
- States must prioritize establishing and expanding universal local preschool programs within and across high-need communities.
- If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
- Better support Head Start programs by providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.
Full text of the legislation is available HERE.
7/18/25