Binden's American Families Plan and Daycare

[Michael]

The American Families Plan is expected to call for roughly $1 trillion in new spending. About $225 billion of that is expected for child-care support.

Do you think that this will federalize daycare?

* Deliver immediate relief to working families bearing the brunt of this crisis by sending $1,400 per-person checks to households across America, providing direct housing and nutrition assistance, expanding access to safe and reliable childcare and affordable healthcare, increasing the minimum wage, extending unemployment insurance, and giving families with kids and childless workers an emergency boost this year.

** Expand access to high-quality, affordable child care. We are facing an acute, immediate child care crisis in America, which is exacerbating our economic crisis. Due to increased costs and lower enrollment, a recent survey of child care providers showed that most child care providers expect that they will close within a few months without relief or are uncertain how long they can stay open. If left unaddressed, many child care providers will close — some permanently — and millions of children could go without necessary care, and millions of parents could be left to make devastating choices this winter between caring for their children and working to put food on the table. Early childcare providers are almost entirely women, among whom 40 percent are people of color, and so these closures could devastate engines of opportunity for minority- and women-owned businesses. President Biden is calling on Congress to take immediate actions to address this crisis by helping child care centers reopen and remain open safely, and by making that care affordable to families who need it.

*** Increase tax credits to help cover the cost of childcare. To help address the childcare affordability crisis, President Biden is calling on Congress to expand child care tax credits on an emergency basis for one year to help working families cover the cost of childcare. Families will get back as a tax credit as much as half of their spending on child care for children under age 13, so that they can receive a total of up to $4,000 for one child or $8,000 for two or more children. The tax credit will be refundable, meaning that families who don’t owe a lot in taxes will still benefit. The full 50 percent reimbursement will be available to families making less than $125,000 a year. And, all families making between $125,000 and $400,000 will receive a partial credit so they receive benefits at least as generous as those they can receive today.

[Cat Herder]

It is a money grab for centers. Specifically, urban centers. Ones who pay taxes in urban areas. Whose taxes pay their salaries. Who vote them in.

They over-regulated to the the point of closure then come in as the savior offering "free" money for their hardship. They created the illness and the cure. Redistribution of wealth.

It will all collapse, just as Head Start did and the owners will be left to pick up the pieces, as usual. Minus, of course, those short-timers who come in, take the cash and run.

If they really wanted to help long term they would fund the YMCA, birth control, youth job corps and tutoring programs.

[Annalee]

This has been coming....Hilary was pushing it but she lost the election.......scary times! Personally, I like getting all my pay in a lump sum twice monthly from the state as all but one are paid by essential worker program since april/2020 but my brother whom is in a higher tax bracket says the economy will go south fast after all this money flying around in the name of so-called help. Our country is in trouble to say it nicely!

[Blackcat31]

Like most hot button topics, the government just wants to put a Band-aid on it....and one that makes them look good.

They don't really want to address the root of any of it.

Keeps people needing them.

[Josiegirl]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

Like most hot button topics, the government just wants to put a Band-aid on it....and one that makes them look good.

They don't really want to address the root of any of it.

Keeps people needing them.

My sister and I had a long conversation about root of problems vs. covering with a band-aid, regarding the gun debate and mental illness.

They've got to dig deep to find the root of any problem; it's a long drawn out slowly working system and cannot show any immediate results, while throwing $$$$$ at something makes them sound like they're doing something.

I completely agree with your words BC. Unfortunately, giving more money isn't the answer.

[Pestle]

Giving more money would absolutely be the answer if we were giving more money to a diversity of efforts to solve a diversity of early education, early intervention, and child care problems, instead of trying to be super-efficient by lumping every unique situation together.

I tend to skew left of typical left-wing on most issues, but when it comes to education, I'm not even on the charts. I can't stand the "too big to fail" Democratic approach to public education in the US and the deification of public school employees, and I suffered abuse under the "children are the property of their parents and it's nobody's business what happens behind closed doors" Republican approach, so while I am pro homeschooling and nontraditional education, I don't find any allies in that political segment.

There need to be more opportunities for more options, and there needs to be more oversight but not in the ways that are most cost efficient, i.e., forcing all educators and care providers into the same mold because it's simple to assess their performance that way, and using assessments that don't actually get at the heart of what quality care and education are. There are too many ideologues controlling the educational system with too few actual ideas between them.

/rant over

[nannyde]

Originally Posted by Michael

*** Increase tax credits to help cover the cost of childcare. To help address the childcare affordability crisis, President Biden is calling on Congress to expand child care tax credits on an emergency basis for one year to help working families cover the cost of childcare. Families will get back as a tax credit as much as half of their spending on child care for children under age 13, so that they can receive a total of up to $4,000 for one child or $8,000 for two or more children. The tax credit will be refundable, meaning that families who don’t owe a lot in taxes will still benefit. The full 50 percent reimbursement will be available to families making less than $125,000 a year.

Time to raise rates. A parent paying 154 a week is going to get half that back making their daycare bill 77 a week which would be 1.54 an hour (ten hour day) for one kid and 3.08 an hour for two. If they are getting that kind of subsidy, the providers need to raise their rates substantially.

I fear there will be strings attached to this eventually. After getting this kind of subsidy, parents aren't going to want it to end. I see the next phase being... the provider has to qualify as a "high quality" daycare. High quality, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. First move would be every family qualifying has to go to a registered daycare to get the credit.

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by nannyde

I fear there will be strings attached to this eventually. After getting this kind of subsidy, parents aren't going to want it to end. I see the next phase being... the provider has to qualify as a "high quality" daycare. High quality, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. First move would be every family qualifying has to go to a registered daycare to get the credit.

That’s exactly what happens here in MN

Parents can get up to $10,000 per child for child care but must attend or use the funding only by using a 3 or 4 star rated child care (4 stars = max amount)

Every child born into the family is automatically added to the grant. Grant covers the child until first day of Kindergarten.

Families don’t have to commit to same child care provider and can use whatever provider they want as long as the program is rated 3 or 4 stars.

I have 3 families/kids using this option. They do not pay a single dime towards their costs.
I am required to do all billing etc. Parents do nothing but show up every day.
There are NO work or school requirements for parent.

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

That’s exactly what happens here in MN

Parents can get up to $10,000 per child for child care but must attend or use the funding only by using a 3 or 4 star rated child care (4 stars = max amount)

Every child born into the family is automatically added to the grant. Grant covers the child until first day of Kindergarten.

Families don’t have to commit to same child care provider and can use whatever provider they want as long as the program is rated 3 or 4 stars.

I have 3 families/kids using this option. They do not pay a single dime towards their costs.
I am required to do all billing etc. Parents do nothing but show up every day.
There are NO work or school requirements for parent.

They are doing the same here. If a provider choses not to participate they take away their stars down to 1 star. I was the first one rated here and the highest rated for quite some time. I won't take subsidy so they docked me down to 1 star this year. I won't be participating at all next year. Clearly, it has nothing to do with providing quality care for children and I no longer have any respect for them.

I am considering joining a class action law suit of private business owners for liable as I pay to be legally licensed in this state and they are maliciously applying ratings for their own agenda.

[Annalee]

WOW! Always a political agenda to EVERY THING!!! Crazy how so much STUFF creeps up!

[Annalee]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

That’s exactly what happens here in MN

Parents can get up to $10,000 per child for child care but must attend or use the funding only by using a 3 or 4 star rated child care (4 stars = max amount)

Every child born into the family is automatically added to the grant. Grant covers the child until first day of Kindergarten.

Families don’t have to commit to same child care provider and can use whatever provider they want as long as the program is rated 3 or 4 stars.

I have 3 families/kids using this option. They do not pay a single dime towards their costs.
I am required to do all billing etc. Parents do nothing but show up every day.
There are NO work or school requirements for parent.

This 'showing up every day doing nothing' is getting old fast, too!

[Josiegirl]

Originally Posted by Cat Herder

They are doing the same here. If a provider choses not to participate they take away their stars down to 1 star. I was the first one rated here and the highest rated for quite some time. I won't take subsidy so they docked me down to 1 star this year. I won't be participating at all next year. Clearly, it has nothing to do with providing quality care for children and I no longer have any respect for them.

I am considering joining a class action law suit of private business owners for liable as I pay to be legally licensed in this state and they are maliciously applying ratings for their own agenda.

Oh I hope change can be brought about doing this!!!

In our state, only 4-5 Star rating centers(and the very VERY few home daycares that could cut the mustard by achieving that quality rating)won special favor from the state. They got more help, more support, more incentive financially, their names provided in lists for potential dcfamilies, just everything went to help them. The home daycares struggled to get 3 Stars(that's when I quit and realized I wanted to devote my time to the kids and not pleasing the state's requirements). All the stories I heard from providers who tried to play by the rules were about terribly strict inspectors who made them jump impossible hoops.
It's all about funding, not what's best for the children.

But I digress to older leftover feelings of frustration.

[Cat Herder]

"On April 22, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03) introduced the Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation that addresses the child care crisis by increasing access for families to afford high-quality child care. The bill specifically looks to cap child care costs at 7% income, increase assistance for more families so they can choose the child care arrangements best for them, calls for investment in family child care educators and growing the field."

“The Child Care for Working Families Act is a crucial next step in driving us to build child care better and to look to a future of caregiving and healthy child development that is part of a just economy. Thank you to Senator Murray and Representative Scott for boldly leading once again.” - Lanette Dumas, executive director of the National Association for Family Child Care

• So where is the personal accountability?
• Why should taxpayers who chose to not have kids foot this bill? Do they get checks, too?
• How about those who chose not to have more kids than they could afford? Will they get refunds?
• Will there be back payments for the previous generations who already paid their own way and are now left with with squalid retirement and social security payouts?
• How many kids can they have before they have to pay their fair share?
• 7% per kid or per family?
• Why should higher wage earners have to pay more?
• Why even bother becoming a higher wage earner?
• Why bother going to school or working hard at all since you come out better if you don't?

So many issues with this, I just can't. I am so pi$$ed that this government is working so hard to ruin all the parenting time I put in to raise my kids as self-sufficient, hard working and to contribute something useful to society. Just go home kids, work your 20 hours, get paid to reproduce.

[Cat Herder]

"No working family earning below 150 percent of state median income pays more than seven percent of
their income on child care, regardless of the number of children they have.
- Families earning above 75 percent of the state median income would pay on a sliding scale.
- Families earning below 75 percent of the state median income will not have to pay anything at all."

I am going to have to leave this thread. The more I research, the more angry I get. I am going to have a stroke.

Idiocracy has arrived. We'll be watching the movie A$$ before we know it.

Carry on.

[Sunshine69]

Lovely. More solutions to control the childcare “crisis”. Funny how their solutions lead to more providers closing their doors, thereby perpetuating the problem.

Maybe stop promoting the idea that childcare is costly and instead promote the idea that raising children is expensive and the responsibility of the parents!

This country has become ridiculous in enabling people not to accept responsibility for situations they create, from not enforcing penalties for not paying child support to subsidizing childcare at the expense of all taxpayers and childcare providers. Just stop it already! Adults need to adult. It’s that simple.

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by Sunshine69

Lovely. More solutions to control the childcare “crisis”. Funny how their solutions lead to more providers closing their doors, thereby perpetuating the problem.

Maybe stop promoting the idea that childcare is costly and instead promote the idea that raising children is expensive and the responsibility of the parents!

This country has become ridiculous in enabling people not to accept responsibility for situations they create, from not enforcing penalties for not paying child support to subsidizing childcare at the expense of all taxpayers and childcare providers. Just stop it already! Adults need to adult. It’s that simple.

I am so beyond grateful there are still logical, critical thinkers in our society! I agree with everything you said
Especially the bolder part!!

[Josiegirl]

Originally Posted by Sunshine69

Lovely. More solutions to control the childcare “crisis”. Funny how their solutions lead to more providers closing their doors, thereby perpetuating the problem.

Maybe stop promoting the idea that childcare is costly and instead promote the idea that raising children is expensive and the responsibility of the parents!

This country has become ridiculous in enabling people not to accept responsibility for situations they create, from not enforcing penalties for not paying child support to subsidizing childcare at the expense of all taxpayers and childcare providers. Just stop it already! Adults need to adult. It’s that simple.

I nominate you for president. Honestly, you've got so much common sense and wish you'd give talks at all meetings over policies of expanding funds to create more ridiculous programs to better support our children. Meanwhile, we've never seen so many mass shootings and angry mobs out there before.
Children are not brought up to earn their own way, handle adversity or go through life not expecting every single thing to be handed over to them, just because. Care and respect children enough to give them specific boundaries and earn their place so they'll respect and care about themselves. People appreciate what they have so much more if they have a sense of earning it, not just having it handed over.
SO many people just don't care anymore. About anything. It's NOT going to be rectified by another costly program. Teach parents how to be loving and caring parents. Show them how to BE THERE for their child/ren and not only for themselves. It's so frustrating.

[Gemma]

Another step towards communisms!

[Annalee]

There was a time when it was 'natural' to love/nurture your children but now we come to the generation where 'everyone gets a trophy for participation' so no one has any accountability for anything because they get the 'trophy' any way and 'dare' anyone to say anything about it much less be allowed to 'do' anything; yes socialism and communism are upon us! Whatever you wanna call it!

[Cat Herder]

I am struck at how fast Daycare went from being a Luxury to being a Right? When did having more children than you can afford become a right?

I would have loved to have had more kids, but could not afford to. I never would have dared to demand someone else pay for them.

[Annalee]

Originally Posted by Cat Herder

I am struck at how fast Daycare went from being a Luxury to being a Right? When did having more children than you can afford become a right?

I would have loved to have had more kids, but could not afford to. I never would have dared to demand someone else pay for them.

You been talking to my brother, haven't you? He's so frustrated right now with this theory of 'right' and 'patting patting everyone on the back even if they're wrong even if they are performing their job correctly, be sure and pat them on the back He was wound up yesterday!

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by Annalee

You been talking to my brother, haven't you? He's so frustrated right now with this theory of 'right' and 'patting patting everyone on the back even if they're wrong even if they are performing their job correctly, be sure and pat them on the back He was wound up yesterday!

But were you not constantly told to follow the zero population growth thing growing up?

It was beat into us at school. In sex ed, home economics and gym classes. Every year. "1 child per adult, anything else was irresponsible unless you made enough for 3 adults."

I remember, when I got pregnant at 17, I was shamed, asked to leave school and *they (hospital staff at birth) were trying to pressure me into having my tubes tied, then. At 18.

I don't want to go back to that, but paying them to breed seems irresponsible as well. How about something in the middle?

[Annalee]

Originally Posted by Cat Herder

But were you not constantly told to follow the zero population growth thing growing up?

It was beat into us at school. In sex ed, home economics and gym classes. Every year. "1 child per adult, anything else was irresponsible unless you made enough for 3 adults."

I remember, when I got pregnant at 17, I was shamed, asked to leave school and *they (hospital staff at birth) were trying to pressure me into having my tubes tied, then. At 18.

I don't want to go back to that, but paying them to breed seems irresponsible as well. How about something in the middle?

I agree with needing something in the 'middle' but I feel something in the 'middle' leads to judgement/negotiation and becomes difficult for the powers that be. I worry about my own two sons especially now that they are in adulthood. It's one thing to have a child out of wedlock at a young age and the family support and assist the parents which is what family does including mine and families go beyond which is great and marriage isn't always the answer so, as families, we jump in and help cause the person in question deserves that, going on now within my family; but it's another to become a repeat/habitual with no regard for those you are affecting and continue bringing kids into the world for someone else to 'raise'........

[Josiegirl]

Originally Posted by Cat Herder

But were you not constantly told to follow the zero population growth thing growing up?

It was beat into us at school. In sex ed, home economics and gym classes. Every year. "1 child per adult, anything else was irresponsible unless you made enough for 3 adults."

I remember, when I got pregnant at 17, I was shamed, asked to leave school and *they (hospital staff at birth) were trying to pressure me into having my tubes tied, then. At 18.

I don't want to go back to that, but paying them to breed seems irresponsible as well. How about something in the middle?

I don't think the Duggars took that course.