The Most Important Issues For Families in the 2020 Election
Breaking Down the Issues That Matter Most to Families in the 2020 Election
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This is perhaps one of the biggest issues for working families. According to Child Care Aware of America, married couples pay 11 percent of their income toward child care, and for single parents, it's roughly 36 percent. With the help of senior adviser and daughter Ivanka Trump, child care has been a focus through President Trump's policy making. In his proposed 2021 fiscal budget is a one-time $1 billion investment to build out more child care options, including programs through employers. He made a similar effort in his 2020 budget, allocating $1 billion to increase affordable child care options in underserved communities, in addition to signing a $2.4 billion funding increase for the Child Care and Development Fund, which provides financial assistance to low-income families so they can work. President Trump also recently approved paid parental leave for federal workers for 12 weeks.
Biden hasn't rolled out a child care specific plan yet, though he has touched on early childhood development, proposing universal pre-K for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds, which could help offset child care costs. Where he has gotten more specific is in maternal and family health, stating he'd like to give states funding to place early childhood development experts in community health centres, as well as for home visits through the ACA for new parents who need help with both child or maternal health issues. He's been a supporter of the Family and Medical Leave Act, and has recently said he believes Americans should get 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a child or sick family member.