We need to do a better job of supporting parents, whether they’re working, in school, or taking care of children full-time.
At the federal minimum wage, paying for child care for one child would take the first 26 hours of wages in a 40 hour week (if it’s an infant, the first 32 hours of wages). All 50 states have some amount of federally-funded assistance to help parents afford child care, but in many states these programs have long wait lists, or have extremely limited eligibility. In Iowa, parents lose all assistance at 145% of the federal poverty line (an income of around $25,000 per year for a parent with one child). My piece for TalkPoverty explores what this means for children, parents, employers and the community.
In personal news, I’m now in Oregon. Tomorrow I’ll be heading to Crater Lake National Park. My next stops after that are Sacramento and then the Bay Area.
