Promise the Children 2016: Child Care for All
Low-waged single parent(s) cannot pay market rate for child care. Many children are in risky situations where they are neglected or abused. Some are lucky enough to have a relative or neighbor to provide care. Some are supported by childcare vouchers or are in Head Start.
A minimum waged single parent working 40 hours weekly may be earning as much as $15,080 annually. This is below the Federal poverty line. The median income in the United States is estimated at $51,939. This is about 330% of the poverty line.
The high cost of daily living including market housing, food, and transportation leaves little for costly child care for all low- waged workers. Savings accounts and tax deductions offer little help to a low-waged worker. There are long, long waiting lists for a spot at Federal Head Start program, or for a state supported child care voucher.
The solution is; (1) double the funding for Head Start and the Voucher program, (2) establish public quality class room care for three and four-year olds, and (3 )offer child care tax credit. This chart comes from the Center for American Progress.
YOU CAN HELP! Watch the debates and keep a tally on the Mom’s Rising tally sheet about how many times the care of our young children is mentioned. Pay attention to the subsidies that are offered low-income workers!
Contact candidates for President on social media or by email or mail and ask them how they plan to support child care for low-income parents. Ask them;
You may ask @HillaryClinton and/or @realDonaldTrump: “Will you support quality child care for our nations’ low and median income families? @PromisetheChild #WeR4PreK”
Here is a complete list of presidential candidates, including those running third party. For help contacting your elected officials through social media or by email or ground mail, click here.
Visit PromisetheChildren for more information and sign up and join us in taking action for children! Please donate to help pay for resource development web site maintenance.We are volunteers who put our hearts into supporting pre-school children.
