At a recent Turning Point Action event in Mesa, Arizona, hosted by conservative activist Charlie Kirk, JD Vance delivered a response to a question about lowering daycare costs that caught many off guard. Vance, a U.S. Senator from Ohio and prominent figure in the Republican Party, suggested that one solution might be enlisting grandparents or extended family members to take on childcare responsibilities. In a world where working families are grappling with rising daycare costs, Vance’s remarks seemed, at best, impractical, and at worst, detached from the realities facing modern families.
The Turning Point event, led by Kirk and Vance, was part of a broader rally designed to energize conservative voters ahead of the 2024 election. The focus was primarily on grassroots mobilization, but the discussion turned toward everyday challenges faced by families, with daycare costs at the forefront.
Vance’s Solution: Call Grandma and Grandpa
In response to a question from Kirk about how to lower daycare costs, Vance suggested that families might alleviate some of the financial burdens by relying on relatives to help with childcare. “Maybe, like, grandma or grandpa wants to help out a little bit more, or maybe there’s an aunt or uncle that wants to help out,” Vance said. This, according to Vance, would reduce pressure on the already expensive daycare system.
Kirk: What can we do about lowering the cost of daycare? pic.twitter.com/YIS68cXKw4
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 5, 2024
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The eloquent response from Rep. Jimmy Gomez (CA34-D):
JD Vance on the high cost of Childcare for American families:
You’re on your own. You ain’t getting shit from us. Call grandma. 👵 https://t.co/glQBQKMOgz
— Jimmy Gomez (@JimmyGomezCA) September 5, 2024
Vance continued by criticizing what he called “ridiculous certification requirements” that childcare workers must meet to provide services. His argument was that the educational and certification requirements for early childhood specialists are driving up costs and preventing people from entering the field. By loosening these standards, he claimed, more people could enter the childcare workforce, which would lower costs for families.
On the surface, Vance’s comments could be seen as advocating for greater family involvement and a reduction in bureaucratic red tape. However, the suggestion that working families—many of whom already face the challenge of balancing work and family life—should turn to grandparents or relatives, who may themselves still be working or living far away, struck many as tone-deaf. Critics were quick to point out that not every family has the option to rely on extended relatives for childcare, particularly as more Americans are working later in life and dealing with their own financial struggles.
The Bigger Picture: Childcare Costs in the U.S.
Childcare in the U.S. is expensive—really expensive. According to a 2022 study, 72% of parents pay at least 10% of their income on childcare, with over half spending more than 20% of their income. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines “affordable” childcare as costing no more than 7% of a household’s income, meaning that the majority of families are paying far more than what is considered reasonable.
The problem is compounded by the fact that many daycare providers struggle to balance their own operating costs. Even in states like Michigan, where 85% of childcare funding comes from the federal government, many centers are barely scraping by. Lowering wages or reducing training requirements for childcare workers, as Vance suggested, could exacerbate the issue by pushing more qualified individuals out of the workforce.
How Trump and Harris Would Address Childcare Costs
The 2024 election will likely see childcare costs become a key issue, especially with candidates like Donald Trump and Kamala Harris offering starkly different approaches.
- Trump’s Approach: Under the Trump administration, childcare policy was largely centered around tax credits and deductions. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 doubled the Child Tax Credit, offering some financial relief to families with children. Trump also proposed expanding childcare tax deductions and increasing funding for childcare development block grants. While these initiatives were designed to give families more money in their pockets, they were not comprehensive reforms aimed at tackling the systemic issues driving up childcare costs.
- Harris’s Approach: Kamala Harris, on the other hand, has been vocal about her support for universal pre-K and affordable childcare programs. As part of the Biden administration, Harris has championed initiatives to invest in early childhood education, including plans to increase the wages of childcare workers and make childcare more accessible to low-income families. The American Families Plan, proposed by the Biden-Harris administration, aims to cap childcare costs at 7% of a family’s income, which would bring the U.S. more in line with other developed nations.
While both Trump and Harris propose solutions to the childcare crisis, Harris’s approach is more focused on addressing the root causes of high childcare costs, including underpaid workers and underfunded facilities. Trump’s approach, by contrast, offers more immediate financial relief through tax cuts but doesn’t tackle the structural issues in the childcare industry.
Which Policies Might Work Better?
It’s difficult to say definitively which approach would work better, as both have their pros and cons. Trump’s tax deductions provide short-term relief for middle-class families, but they may not be enough for lower-income families who spend a disproportionate share of their income on childcare. Harris’s proposals, while more comprehensive, rely on significant government investment and political buy-in, which could be challenging to secure.
The cost of childcare in the U.S. is an ongoing problem that requires a multi-faceted solution. Lowering the financial burden on families will likely involve a combination of increased government funding, higher wages for childcare workers, and expanded access to affordable childcare programs. Loosening certification requirements, as Vance suggested, could help more people enter the childcare field, but it risks lowering the quality of care and could put children at risk.
Final Thoughts
JD Vance’s comments at the Turning Point Action event in Mesa may have been intended as a practical solution for struggling families, but they largely missed the mark. While relying on extended family members for childcare might be an option for some, it’s far from a comprehensive solution to a systemic problem. The cost of childcare in the U.S. is a pressing issue that requires a thoughtful approach—one that considers the needs of both families and childcare providers.
As we head into the 2024 election, voters will have to weigh the different childcare policies put forward by candidates like Trump and Harris. The outcome will likely shape the future of childcare in the U.S. for years to come. But one thing is clear: simply calling on grandma and grandpa to pitch in isn’t the answer.
Featured image via public domain
