Childcare Costs are Too Damn High

When we thrive, our childcare is accessible for (a lot) less than the cost of college. When we thrive, our childcare is high quality because we invest in our teachers. When we thrive, our childcare is understood as an absolute necessity for all of us to thrive.

Too many of us aren’t thriving.

This is a choice. A choice made by our elected leaders, including our Members of Congress.

Just last year they made the choice to end Federal support for childcare by $40 billion dollars. Since then, we’ve been doing a lot to get Congress to put in $16 billion to cover an additional year of child care stabilization funding to support child care providers serving 10 million kids across the country. We haven’t gotten even close to passing this in the year of 2024.

Congress is opening up the 2025 budget negotiations and this time, we need our priorities, our Mom Priorities, reflected in how we choose to invest our money for the coming year. According to Count on Mothers’ study of The Impact of Childcare Cost on the U.S. Family’s Financial Security, 37% of moms pay more than 15% of their household income on childcare. That is too damn high for us.

This isn’t a theoretical problem. The same report named all too well what we already know, that skyrocketing costs of childcare has meant that 7 out of 10 mothers say they can’t save for emergencies, college or retirement. This is absolutely unacceptable.

So we’re letting our Members of Congress know that this time, they are going to hear from moms like us.

Sign the Open Letter to Congress to show we mean business when it comes to ensuring that we can participate in our economy and society and our kids get the developmentally get off to a good start in life.

What would it look like if moms like us flooded Congress with this letter before the election? We can do it. Because MFers get it done.

1 Results from Count on Mothers’ study of The Impact of Childcare Cost on the U.S. Family’s Financial Security

*This open letter is organized by Mothering Forward. At Mothering Forward we take action to create a world where motherhood is honored in our homes, communities, and society. By centering the leadership, skills, and talents of moms, we are building a community of maternal support that mobilizes to pass federal and local policies that support families and create economic security.

If you identify as a mother, mama, grandmother, aunt, caregiver, parent, mentor, or advocate for children, then add your voice with ours by signing this letter. We are inclusive and excited to build with anyone and all who see themselves as mothering in a new world. *