Kamala Harris Calls For Cap On Family Child Care Expenses

Vice President Kamala Harris said on Tuesday that one of her goals as president would be to make sure no family pays more than 7% of household income on child care.

“Sadly, the state of affairs in our country is that working people often have to decide to either be able to work or to be able to afford child care,” the Democratic nominee said during a live interview before a meeting in Philadelphia of members of the National Association of Black Journalists.

“My plan is that no family, no working family should have to pay more than 7% of their income on child care,” Harris added.

The vow was part of a broader comment Harris made about the burdens families face when caring for children or aging relatives ― or for both, as is often the case for members of the so-called sandwich generation.

“It is just absolutely too expensive for them to be able to work and do that,” Harris said.

Harris has talked about the need to support caregiving ever since she launched her presidential campaign in late July, after President Joe Biden dropped out. But several advocates who follow child care closely said Tuesday was the first time they’d heard Harris mention the 7% figure so clearly as one of her policy goals.

“VP Harris has always been a child care champion, but this is the first time Harris the nominee has laid out a specific affordability threshold that maps to legislation guaranteeing access to affordable, high-quality child care,” Melissa Boteach, a vice president at the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, told HuffPost over email.

A 7% cap could make a substantial difference to millions of Americans. Today, child care expenses represent 8% to 19.3% of median family income, depending on the type of care and the state,