Rep. Larsen | Child care costs now rival rent or mortgage payments

||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN |||

Coming off of Mother’s Day weekend, I am thinking about how we can better support working families during this affordability crisis. Right now, working families are being pushed to the brink by the rising cost of child care.

In communities across Northwest Washington and around the country, parents are struggling to afford safe, reliable care while balancing jobs, bills, and everyday expenses. In many cases, child care costs now rival rent or mortgage payments — forcing families to make impossible choices about work, savings, and their future. At the same time, child care providers and early learning centers are facing staffing shortages, rising costs, and a lack of long-term support. We must act.

That is why I am calling on my colleagues in Congress to help lower child care costs for working families by:

• Expanding access to affordable, high-quality early learning programs
• Investing in child care providers and the early childhood workforce
• Strengthening tax relief for parents and caregivers
• Supporting long-term federal investments that help families and child care providers stay afloat

Affordable child care is not a luxury — it is essential infrastructure for working families and a strong economy. Take a moment to commemorate the parents in your life with action: add your name to my petition and urge Congress to take action to address the child care affordability crisis.

Sign the Petition