Child care is too expensive and too hard to find

As I hold town halls in all 36 counties across Oregon, one concern keeps coming up again and again: child care is too expensive and too hard to find.

Families are being pushed to the brink — paying upwards of $19,000 a year for infant care in Oregon. That's more than in-state college tuition. It's unacceptable.

That's why I've cosponsored the Child Care for Working Families Act — a comprehensive plan to make high-quality child care affordable and accessible for every family who needs it.

This bill is a win for working families and small businesses across Oregon. It will:

• Cap child care costs at no more than 7% of a family's income, with many families paying nothing at all
• Expand access to child care in underserved communities, including during non-traditional hours
• Ensure child care workers are paid a living wage
• Dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K and strengthen the Head Start program.

We can't keep asking working families to make impossible choices between paying for child care or paying for food and rent.

This bill is a game-changer. It's our shot at building a future where every parent can go to work knowing their kids are safe, cared for, and thriving, and every provider is treated with dignity and respect.

I'll keep fighting to move this legislation forward, build an economy that works for everyone, not just the powerful and well-connected.

Onward,

Jeff