How Free Childcare Started Winning US Elections: ‘Overnight, People Realized How Essential It Was’

For decades, advocates for universal childcare have been relegated to the sidelines of American politics. However, as evidenced by Francesca Hong’s gubernatorial campaign in Wisconsin, this issue is finally gaining traction – and it’s not just a matter of emotional appeal.

The pandemic has pushed caregivers to their limits as they juggled work and family responsibilities with dwindling resources, making childcare costs surpass those of college tuition. This shift towards making childcare a kitchen-table concern is no surprise. Candidates like Hong are now making universal childcare a central plank of their platforms, capitalizing on the economic realities faced by families across the country.

Deb Haaland’s observation that “universal childcare is good for our economy” highlights the fact that investing in care infrastructure can create jobs and stimulate growth. Bipartisan support for childcare provisions in the American Rescue Plan underscores this point. The push for universal childcare has been decades in the making, with pioneers like Marian Wright Edelman’s Children’s Defense Fund laying the groundwork for policy changes.

The 1990 Child Care and Development Block Grant marked an important milestone, but it was the pandemic that accelerated progress on this front. Patty Murray’s tireless advocacy for federal childcare policy, including her repeated attempts to pass the Child Care for Working Families Act, has finally started to bear fruit. New Mexico became the first state to offer free childcare for all in March, a significant development that other states are taking notice of.

The Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy is committing $50 million to investing in childcare-related races this midterm cycle, sending a clear signal that childcare is now a top priority for voters. Hong’s proposal for a payroll-funded universal childcare guarantee is ambitious and precisely the kind of innovation needed to address the affordability crisis facing families. By tying childcare funding to federal poverty levels and implementing loan-forgiveness programs for early educators, Hong’s plan aims to create a more sustainable care economy – one that benefits not just working parents but also the broader community.

As the midterm elections approach, it will be interesting to see whether this momentum translates into policy changes at the state and federal levels. With the Senate Democratic leadership making childcare a pillar of their affordability agenda, there’s hope that Washington DC might finally start to take seriously the needs of families struggling to make ends meet.

The care economy is not just about childcare; it’s about recognizing the value of caregiving work and creating an infrastructure that supports families in all their diversity. As Hong so aptly puts it, “we cannot have a sustainable way forward without addressing the care economy.” It’s time for policymakers to listen to this message – and act on it.

The clock is ticking, but there’s still a long way to go before universal childcare becomes a reality for American families. What happens next will depend on whether politicians are willing to put their money where their mouths are – and whether voters continue to push them towards making childcare a top priority.