Access to quality child care is a lifeline for families and strengthens our economy, but far too many parents either can't find care, or even when it is available, can't afford it. Some parents have to make the impossible choice of enrolling their child in a program that doesn’t fit their budget or leaving their job to care for them. This issue is personal to me as a mother — I remember when I was looking for child care and had to make that decision. I will work to bring down the cost of child care for families and allow parents the ability to rejoin the workforce or take on more hours at work, strengthening their family’s financial security. 

I will work on legislation — modeled after the military and Head Start — that would cap a family's out-of-pocket costs for child care at 7 percent of their income and bolster the early childhood education workforce to ensure that every family can find and afford high-quality child care. I support legislation that will expand the federal child tax credit, which lifted nearly three million children out of poverty. As your Senator, I will expand Minnesota’s child tax credit, which would reduce child poverty and help families afford child care — or anything else their family needs. 

Our local businesses feel the significant strain when their employees can't find reliable child care. I will work with our employers to establish support programs that enable them to offer the child care options their employees need.

Affordable child care isn't just necessary for parents — it’s essential for employers and Minnesota’s economy.