House Education & Workforce Committee Hearing on child care and the future of work in America

By Sadie Wayne and Margaret Wakefield, Afterschool Alliance Policy Interns.

Over the summer the Afterschool Alliance had the opportunity to host two fellows at the Reagan Foundation’s Academy for Civic Education and Democracy: Sadie Wayne of Kenyon College in Ohio, and Maggie Wakefield of Rhodes College in Tennessee. The fellows immediately became a valuable part of the team and added important capacity including in attending and summarizing Hill briefings. Below is one of their summaries from July. We thank them both for their passion for youth and families and their many contributions to our organization. We look forward to following their bright paths.

On June 24, 2025, the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education hosted a hearing titled, “Child Care and The American Workforce: Removing Barriers to Economic Growth.” The hearing focused on the growing child care crisis in the U.S., with witnesses discussing how lack of access, affordability, and quality care are stifling economic growth and limiting family opportunity.

The witness panel included Caitlin Low of the Bipartisan Policy Center; Dr. Ruth Friedman, former director of the Office of Child Care; Mayor Todd Barton of Crawfordsville, Indiana; and Celia Sims of the Abecedarian Group. All offered insight into how to improve child care systems in both urban and rural communities.

Witnesses asserted that the time to invest in childcare is now. In her opening statement, Low asserted that for every dollar invested in childcare, the United States could see a $17 return through increased earnings, reduced reliance on public assistance, and broader economic gains. Witnesses and representatives agreed that the child care crisis must be addressed promptly, while still keeping the diverse circumstances of families, programs, and regions in mind.

Mayor Barton described the particular challenges of rural communities, where lack of access predominates. is His community built innovative partnerships with local organizations, like the Boys and Girls Club and the Parks and Recreation program, to provide essential summer and school break programming to meet the needs of parents with school-age children. Witnesses explained that expanding access will require stable and sustained funding from federal, state, and local sources. Dr. Friedman and Caitlin Low noted that with expanded investment, pre existing programs can grow to meet demand. Despite these efforts and flexibility of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), Barton pointed out a critical gap: families may receive vouchers, but there are often too few seats in programs in which to use them.

The 2024 updates to the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) cap copayments and require provider pre-payment, which both improve accessibility and reduce barriers for low-income families. Friedman warned that rolling back those protections would decrease supply and raise costs.

Affordability was another central focus. In her opening statement, Caitlin Low cited recent polling data from the Bipartisan Policy Center, noting that two-thirds of families are already paying as much as they can afford for child care. Dr. Ruth Friedman shared that for many families, child care costs now exceed spending on housing or food, and Representative Bonamici suggested that in many places childcare is more costly than in-state college tuition. As programs such as Headstart face continuous cuts, families turn to private institutions that continue to drive prices up.

Child care centers face an impossible balancing act: keeping care affordable for families while covering the cost of quality. Dr. Friedman pointed out that many child care workers are paid less than fast food workers and rely on SNAP and Medicaid to survive. Without better compensation, providers will continue to lose staff, and families will lose care.

To support these challenges, in addition to bi-partisan support for the Child Care and Development Block Grant, House members elevated policy solutions including the Affordable Child Care Act, discussed by Congressman McKenzie (R -Pa.), a bipartisan effort to expand child care tax credits; the Child Care for Working Families Act a Democratic proposal which supports a universal system of care for young children, and the Build Housing with Care Act, legislation sponsored by Congresswoman Bonamici (D-Oregon) to co-locate child care in affordable housing developments.

Finally, the hearing reinforced that quality care is not just about safety: it’s about early education. Bonamici reminded the committee that child care “is not just somewhere to park your kids,” and Sims echoed this, stressing that CCDBG helps ensure flexible care and high standards. Low added that quality care promotes emotional and cognitive growth and provides connection for children. Chairman Kiley closed by emphasizing the need for high standards, particularly in caregiver-to-child ratios and safety–parents must be able to trust the system they depend on.