The Pandemic Has Laid Bare Just How Much We Need Universal Childcare
Joe Biden’s childcare plan is a good start, but Democrats need to push for an even more inclusive plan
One hesitates to look for a silver lining in the flaming wreck of 2020. Some situations are so bad that it’s downright insensitive to look for an upside. Yet, buried in Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s economic recovery plan, there is one surprisingly positive sign: Covid-19 may be the event that forces the United States to finally get serious about universal childcare.
Biden’s plan includes tax credits, which have been standard in plans such as Hillary Clinton’s 2016 proposal. Biden would provide tax credits of up to $8,000 for one child and up to $16,000 for two or more children for households that earn $125,000 or less. Those tax credits are unrestricted but intended to cover childcare costs. However, for children under age five, he also proposes an alternative, sliding-scale structure, borrowed from Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Bobby Scott’s Child Care for Working Families Act. Households making up to 1.5 times their state’s median income would have their childcare costs capped at 7% of their total family income, and households living at 200% or below the federal poverty line (about $51,000) would get childcare for free…
