(KNSI) – It is a burden many Minnesota parents can relate to – struggling to afford childcare or finding an open slot and now, a decades old idea to create equal access is getting another look.
States and local governments are pursuing solutions, along with limited federal subsidies for low-income households. The nonprofit think tank the Roosevelt Institute led a new report calling for a public option approach, with stronger federal investments to close gaps.
Lena Bilik, program manager for the institute, said despite the urgency, attempts to solve this crisis for working parents have been uneven at best. “We keep tinkering around the edges, but what we really need is for childcare to be a public good.”
The authors of the report suggested, like public schools, there should be a universal network of care sites to guarantee free slots without having to assess income, assets, and other financial resources to determine their eligibility. Instead of subsidies and tax credits, they called for a big boost in federal aid for providers, so they can expand and hire staff and keep costs down. On average, childcare costs account for nearly 19% of a Minnesota family’s income.
The idea traces back to the 1970s but has faced resistance along the way. While it still has opponents, elected leaders from all parties have filed bipartisan bills in response to the childcare shortage including the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act, the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, the Dependent Care Assistance Program and the Employer-Provided Child Care Tax Credit.
The Economic Security Project is a partner in the report. Taylor Jo Isenberg is the executive director of the nonprofit and is among those who see it as an infrastructure investment to help the economy by keeping parents in the workforce.
“I think understanding these as tools, not just to meet the needs of families right now but as a kind of foundation of a healthy, dynamic economy and country, is a really important part of the story.”
The guiding principles in the report followed input from parents, grassroots organizers and childcare providers, including the Minnesota network known as Kids Count on Us. Some of the national pushback against a universal system suggests it would erode the quality of care. Bilik countered one of their recommendations strongly advises against provisions like deregulation.
“A trend around the country is sort of changing adult-to-child ratio rules to deal with the shortage of staff. That might sound OK but then you picture a room, we’re talking literal babies or infants that need care, and you need a lot of adults for that.”
In St. Cloud, city planning documents show the St. Cloud area needs 5,300 additional childcare spots. The shortage has forced about one-third of families to rely on a single income due to childcare affordability and availability concerns.
There are two large daycare facilities in the works to serve the St. Cloud area.
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