Families and Children

Families & Children

Costs of living have been outpacing wages, particularly for families with children as a result of rising costs of childcare.

The Federal government has been providing some benefits for parents of minors, and benefits were increased and expanded temporarily as a response to the Covid pandemic, including the Child Tax Credit.

Members of Congress have introduced legislation to further reduce costs for parents of minors, by:

reinstating the higher pandemic-era Child Tax Credit
providing states with funding for free universal preschool
subsidizing childcare for low- and middle-income families

Members of Congress have also proposed legislation to ensure that workers do not lose all of their income while taking time off work to care for a newborn, a sick family member, or themselves – as most jobs do not have paid leave. The proposal would create a national 12-week paid family and medical leave program for all workers, paid for by a new payroll tax.

The proposals come from the following legislation:

Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2023 by Sen. Brown (S. 1992)
The White House’s Fiscal Year 2025 Revenue Proposals
FAMILY Act by Sen. Gillibrand (S. 1714) and Rep. DeLauro (H.R. 3481)
Child Care for Every Community Act by Sen. Warren (S. 388) and Rep. Sherrill (H.R. 953)
Child Care for Working Families Act by Sen. Murray (S. 1354) and Rep. Scott (H.R. 2976)

	FAMILIES AND CHILDREN
	Reinstate the pandemic-era Child Tax Credit: up to $3,600 per child and fully refundable for all parents Source: PPC, August 2024 Respondents were asked whether they favor a proposal to reinstate the pandemic-era Child Tax Credit, presented as follows: Increase the maximum Child Tax Credit to $3,600 a year for each child under age 6, and $3,000 for each child aged 6-17. Very high-income parents would receive a smaller credit. Make it fully refundable for all parents who receive it, no matter their income. A bipartisan majority of 74% were in favor, including 64% of Republicans and 83% of Democrats. More Details Briefing Respondents were presented a briefing on the Child Tax Credit, and how it was increased temporarily by Congress in response to the Covid pandemic: As you may know, a tax credit reduces the total amount of taxes a person owes. For example, if a person owes $5,000 in taxes and gets a $1,000 tax credit, then they will only owe $4,000. Some tax credits are also refundable, so if the tax credit is larger than the amount of taxes a person owes, they keep what is leftover. One tax credit that people can receive is the Child Tax Credit, if they are a parent of a child under 17 that is living with them. In 2018, Congress passed a law so that parents can receive a Child Tax Credit up to $2,000 per child under 17, every year. The amount of the tax credit is smaller for very high-income parents, and lower for low-income parents. Parents who have not earned any income during the year generally cannot receive any tax credit. The tax credit is also partially refundable, up to $1,600. The amount that is refundable is smaller for lower income parents. During the Covid pandemic, Congress passed a law to temporarily increase the Child Tax Credit up to $3,600 per child, and to make it fully refundable no matter the parents’ income. According to federal data, this change: reduced tax revenue by $80 billion a year reduced the rate of child poverty by about a third. That law expired in 2022, and the tax credit has gone back down to being $2,000 and partially refundable. They were then presented a proposal to reinstate the pandemic-era Child Tax Credit, including its estimated effects on the government’s budget and child poverty: Increase the maximum Child Tax Credit to $3,600 a year for each child under age 6, and $3,000 for each child aged 6-17. Very high-income parents would receive a smaller credit. Make it fully refundable for all parents who receive it, no matter their income. It is estimated that, as before, this proposed change would both reduce federal revenues and reduce child poverty. Arguments The arguments in favor were found convincing by large bipartisan majorities of 76-81%, including 69-78% of Republicans and 82-85% of Democrats. The arguments against did not do as well, but were still found convincing by bipartisan majorities of 61-70%, including 65-75% of Republicans and 59-66% of Democrats. Final Recommendation Respondents were then presented the proposal again and asked for their final recommendation: Increase the maximum Child Tax Credit to $3,600 a year for each child under age 6, and $3,000 for each child aged 6-17. Very high-income parents would receive a smaller credit. Make it fully refundable for all parents who receive it, no matter their income. A bipartisan majority of 74% were in favor, including 64% of Republicans and 83% of Democrats. Demographics Results in Six Swing States The survey was also fielded in six swing states: AZ, GA, MI, NV, PA and WI. Across all swing states, bipartisan majorities of 69-77% were in favor, including 60-71% of Republicans and 80-85% of Democrats. Related Standard Polls When asked whether they would favor expanding the Child Tax Credits to more low-income families, which the above proposal would accomplish by making the tax credits fully refundable for all parents, a large bipartisan majority has been in favor: Asked whether they favor, “Expanding eligibility for the child tax credit among lower-income families,” 72% were in support, including 64% of Republicans and 84% of Democrats. (YouGov/Economist, August 2024) In the same year that the Child Tax Credit was temporarily increased to $3,600 and made fully refundable – 2021 – respondents were asked whether they would support extending the new tax credit. Majorities were in support, but among Republicans, views were divided or a plurality were in favor. Asked whether they support including in “the $1.8 trillion economic spending plan developed by the Biden administration,” the provision to, “[extend] the recently expanded child tax credit for four years,” 57% were in support and just 26% opposed, with a large 17% not providing an answer. Three-quarters of Democrats were in support (74%), as were 53% of independents. Among Republicans, 41% were in support and 42% opposed. (Morning Consult/Politico, May 2021) Asked whether they support including in, “the infrastructure plan being developed by the Biden administration,” the “extension of the child tax credit expansion,” 62% were in support and just 24% were opposed, with 16% saying they did not know or had no opinion. Nearly three-quarters of Democrats were in support (73%), as were 55% of independents and a plurality of Republicans (49%, with 38% opposed). (Morning Consult/Politico, March 2021)
	Raise the Child Tax Credit to $6,000 for parents with children under age one Source: PPC, August 2024 After they had evaluated the proposal for reinstating the pandemic-era Child Tax Credit, including arguments for and against, respondents were asked whether they favor, “a $6,000 tax credit to parents with infants under the age of 1.” A bipartisan majority of 65% were in favor, including 55% of Republicans and 75% of Democrats. Demographics Results in Six Swing States The survey was also fielded in six swing states: AZ, GA, MI, NV, PA and WI. Across all swing states, majorities of 57-71% favored the proposal, including majorities of Democrats (65-79%). However, views were more mixed among Republicans: Majorities were in support in Arizona, Georgia, and Michigan (60-66%), and they were statistically divided in Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin (47%-53%).
	$25 billion to help states or local governments set up or expand free preschool programs available to all 3-4 year olds Source: PPC, August 2024 Respondents were asked whether they favor the Federal government providing, “$25 billion to states or cities that want it, to help them create or expand preschool programs that are available to all families free of cost.” A very large bipartisan majority of 82% were in favor, including 74% of Republicans and 92% of Democrats. More Details Briefing Respondents were first presented a briefing on preschool costs: As you may know, preschool is for 3- and 4-year-olds. Preschools provide a service to both children and their parents. For children, preschools provide education and social skills. For parents, preschools provide childcare. About half of three- and four-year-olds are enrolled in a preschool program. Children from low-income families are much less likely to be in preschool. Most states offer preschool programs for free to some but not all children because they have put caps on the amount of funding that can be used for free preschool. Just three states (Florida, Oklahoma and Vermont) and Washington, DC, offer it free to all children. For parents who are unable to get a spot in one of the free programs, they have to pay for preschool themselves. The average cost of preschool is about $8,000 a year. They were then introduced to the proposal to fund more free universal preschool programs: A proposal has been put forward for the Federal government to provide $25 billion to states or cities that want it, to help them create or expand preschool programs that are available to all families free of cost. The federal funding would go to establishing or expanding preschool programs located in public schools. Here is how the proposal would work: Any state that wants to create or expand an existing preschool program could apply for a grant from the federal government. As long as the state’s program is available free-of-charge to all families, regardless of income, the state will receive money to help cover most of the additional costs of providing universal preschool. If a state does not want to participate, cities within that state can apply for funding. The proposal would also require an increase in the qualifications for preschool teachers. Eventually, all preschool teachers who are part of this preschool program would need to have the same level of qualifications as elementary school teachers. Currently, most preschool teachers are required to have a 2-year degree, while most elementary teachers need a 4-year degree. Respondents were also provided a summary of the research on the effects of preschool on children and parents – both positive and negative: Research indicates that children who go through pre-K are more likely to graduate from high school, as well as attend and graduate from college. This leads them to have higher incomes. They are also less likely to be arrested or have problems with drug abuse. However, there is also evidence that shows some negative long-term effects from early schooling, with some children developing more aggression, anxiety, or problems paying attention. In terms of the effects on parents, research has shown that when free preschool is provided, mothers are more likely to enter or re-enter the workforce, which reduces the poverty rate of families. However, research has also shown that this increase in employment among mothers can have negative effects on their parenting. This is because working can lead to increases in stress and anxiety. Arguments The arguments in favor of the proposal were found convincing by very large bipartisan majorities of 81-88%, including 76-87% of Republicans and 86-92% of Democrats. The arguments against did much worse, but were still found convincing by bipartisan majorities of 60-65%, including 65-70% of Republicans and 54-65% of Democrats. Final Recommendation Respondents were then asked for their final recommendation on the proposal: Provide $25 billion to states or cities that want it, to help them create or expand preschool programs that are available to all families free of cost. A very large bipartisan majority of 82% were in favor, including 74% of Republicans and 92% of Democrats. Demographics Results in Six Swing States The survey was also fielded in six swing states: AZ, GA, MI, NV, PA and WI. Across all swing states, bipartisan majorities of 76-83% were in favor, including 63-78% of Republicans and 90-94% of Democrats. Related Standard Polls Standard polling has found majority support for funding universal preschool, but less than half of Republicans: Asked whether they support, “Government funding for universal Pre-K education,” 57% were in support and just 31% opposed, including a majority of Democrats (81%) and independents (53%). Among Republicans, just 36% were in support and a majority of 55% were opposed. (YouGov/Economist, November 2021) Asked, “To what extent do you support or oppose funding for the following being included in the infrastructure plan being developed by the Biden administration? Universal Pre-K,” a majority of 56% were in support, with just 23% opposed and 21% not providing an answer. Majorities of Democrats and independents were in support (75% and 53%, respectively). Among Republicans, 36% were in support, 41% opposed and 22% did not provide an answer. (Morning Consult, March 2021) A majority of 67% supported federal funding for universal pre-k (exact wording not available). (YouGov/CBS News, October 2021 cited by New America) When asked just about increasing public funding for preschool, a large bipartisan majority has been in support: Asked whether they support, “Expanding publicly funded pre-kindergarten programs,” 74% were in support, including 69% of Republicans and 84% of Democrats. (YouGov, February 2023) When asked to choose how many weeks of paid leave new parents should receive, a majority of 54% said at least 10 weeks, including 51% of Republicans and 66% of Democrats. Thirteen percent did not provide an answer. (YouGov, February 2023)
	The Federal government subsidizing childcare so it is free for low-income parents and no more than 7% of income for middle-income parents Source: PPC, August 2024 Respondents were asked whether they favor the following (the full description of the proposal provided to respondents in the briefing can be found below): The federal government would provide funds to states that want it, for them to help parents cover some of the cost of childcare, so that low- and middle-income families spend no more than 7% of their income on childcare. A bipartisan majority of 76% were in favor, including 66% of Republicans and 88% of Democrats. More Details Briefing Respondents were provided a briefing on the costs of childcare: We are now going to look at a proposal that deals with the cost of childcare, including: daycare centers, before- and after-school programs for young children, and summer programs for young children. As you may know, childcare has become more expensive over the last few decades. Families with children under age 5, in which the mother is working, spend on average about 10 percent of their income on childcare. This varies widely depending on income. Among families that pay for childcare: lower income families (less than $60,000 for a family of four) pay on average 35% of their income higher income families (more than $150,000) pay on average 7%. They were then presented a proposal for the government to subsidize the costs of childcare for parents: A proposal has been put forward to provide funds to states that want it, for them to help parents cover some of the cost of childcare, so that low- and middle-income families spend no more than 7% of their income on childcare. The amount that the government will cover depends on the family’s income: Low-income families -- those making about $65,000 or less -- would have all of their costs covered. Middle-income families—those making between $65,000 and about $130,000 —would have some of their costs covered so they don’t spend more than 7% of their income on daycare centers. Higher-income families would not have any of their costs covered. The income cut-offs will also depend on which state the family is in, as states with more high-income people often charge much more for childcare. So, if they live in a state where the typical family has a higher income, the income cut-offs will also be higher. Arguments The arguments in favor were found convincing by very large bipartisan majorities of 83-85%, including 77-81% of Republicans and 90-92% of Democrats. The arguments against did worse, but were still found convincing by majorities of 57-60%, including majorities of Republicans (65-68%), but just around half of Democrats (47-53%). Final Recommendation Finally, respondents were presented a summarized version of the proposal and asked whether they favor it: The federal government would provide funds to states that want it, for them to help parents cover some of the cost of childcare, so that low- and middle-income families spend no more than 7% of their income on childcare. A large bipartisan majority of 76% were in favor, including 66% of Republicans and 88% of Democrats. Demographics Results in Six Swing States The survey was also fielded in six swing states: AZ, GA, MI, NV, PA and WI. Across all swing states, bipartisan majorities of 74-80% were in favor, including majorities of Republicans (63-72%) and Democrats (85-93%). Related Standard Polls A large majority has supported the proposal to subsidize childcare, including a plurality and a majority of Republicans: Asked whether they support including funding to, “[ensure] low- and middle-income families pay no more than 7% of their income on child care,” in the, “$1.8 trillion economic spending plan developed by the Biden administration,” 64% were in favor, including 79% of Democrats and 62% of independents. Among Republicans, a plurality of 44% was in favor (opposed 37%, don’t know/no opinion 19%). (Morning Consult/Politico, May 2021) Respondents were asked whether, “ all Americans should have access to options for the following that are funded by the government… Preschool for children from 3 to 5 years old,” and given the options of “Yes, entirely funded by the government,” “Yes, partially funded by the government,” and “No.” A large bipartisan majority of 74% said yes (fully funded 40%, partially funded 34%) including 65% of Republicans and 87% of Democrats. (YouGov, February 2023)
	Create a national 12-week paid family and medical leave program for all workers, funded by a new 0.2% payroll tax Source: PPC, August 2024 Respondents were asked whether they favor the following proposal for a national paid family and medical leave program: All workers would be allowed to take up to 12 weeks of family or medical leave. The employer would not be legally allowed to fire those workers, if they took leave for valid family or medical reasons. Workers on leave would receive two thirds of their wages for up to 12 weeks, up to a maximum of $4,000 a month, paid by the Federal government. In order to receive payment while on leave, workers would need to submit an application to the government, which must include official documents from a healthcare professional. This proposal would be paid for by a new 0.2% payroll tax on employers and employees. (For a person making $50,000, this would be about $100 a year, and their employer would also be taxed $100.) A bipartisan majority of 72% were in favor, including 61% of Republicans and 85% of Democrats. More Details Briefing Respondents were first presented a definition of family and medical leave, as follows: As you may know, there is currently some discussion about: Whether all employers should be required to allow their employees to take time off for family or medical reasons. (This is known as family and medical leave.) Whether employees should keep being paid their salaries—at least partially—while they are on leave. (When employees get some or all of their salaries paid, this is called ‘paid leave.’) Family leave means an employee taking a certain amount of time off from work to: take care of a newly born or newly adopted child (this is sometimes called ‘parental leave’) take care of a family member—a spouse, parent, or child—who has a serious health condition. Medical leave means an employee taking a certain amount of time off to recover from a serious health condition. A serious health condition means that it requires professional treatment and makes a person unable to leave the hospital or their home for a period. This is different from ordinary sick leave, when a person may take a few days off for something like a cold. They were then presented a briefing on Federal law regarding family and medical leave, and the availability of paid family and medical leave among workers: In 1993, the Family and Medical Leave Act was passed that requires employers to allow employees to take up to 12 weeks of family or medical leave. It does not require employers to cover any of the employee’s salary, but it ensures that the employee cannot be fired as long as they have a legitimate family or medical reasons for taking leave. However, this law does not apply to about 40% of workers, including: workers in businesses that have less than 50 employees, workers who have worked less than one year for the employer, and workers who work less than about 25 hours per week. This has stimulated discussion on two key questions. One key question is whether all employers should be required to allow all workers to take family and medical leave. As mentioned, about 40% of workers do not have a legal guarantee that they can take family and medical leave, meaning that they can be fired if they take time off for family or medical reasons. Another key question is whether all workers should be paid some or all of their salary when they are on leave. Currently: Only 45% of all workers are offered paid medical leave Only 25% of all workers are offered paid family leave They were then presented a proposal for setting up a national program to provide all workers with 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave, funded by a new payroll tax: A proposal has been put forward that would extend paid family and medical leave to all workers. Here is how it would work: All workers would be allowed to take up to 12 weeks of family or medical leave. The employer would not be legally allowed to fire those workers, if they took leave for valid family or medical reasons. Workers on leave would receive two thirds of their wages for up to 12 weeks, up to a maximum of $4,000 a month, paid by the Federal government. In order to receive payment while on leave, workers would need to submit an application to the government, which must include official documents from a healthcare professional. This proposal would be paid for by a new 0.2% payroll tax on employers and employees So, for a person making $50,000 a year, this would be a tax of $100 a year, and their employer would also be taxed $100. Arguments The arguments in favor were found convincing by large bipartisan majorities of 77-81%, including 70-78% of Republicans and 83-87% of Democrats. The arguments against did not do as well, but were still found convincing by bipartisan majorities of 66-67%, including 71-76% of Republicans and 56-66% of Democrats. Final Recommendation Respondents were then asked for their final recommendation on the proposal, presented as follows: All workers would be allowed to take up to 12 weeks of family or medical leave. The employer would not be legally allowed to fire those workers, if they took leave for valid family or medical reasons. Workers on leave would receive two thirds of their wages for up to 12 weeks, up to a maximum of $4,000 a month, paid by the Federal government. In order to receive payment while on leave, workers would need to submit an application to the government, which must include official documents from a healthcare professional. This proposal would be paid for by a new 0.2% payroll tax on employers and employees. (For a person making $50,000, this would be about $100 a year, and their employer would also be taxed $100.) A bipartisan majority of 72% were in favor, including 61% of Republicans and 85% of Democrats. Demographics Results in Six Swing States The survey was also fielded in six swing states: AZ, GA, MI, NV, PA and WI. Across all swing states, majorities of 68-75% were in favor, including majorities of Democrats (81-86%). Among Republicans, majorities are in favor in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin (55-67%), while they are statistically divided in Nevada (52%). Results from Past PPC Surveys A March 2020 survey by PPC asked about the same proposal, but with a slightly higher payroll tax of 0.31% (compared to the 0.2% in the 2024 survey). A majority of 67% favored that proposal, including a majority of Democrats (86%), but Republicans were divided (48% to 51% opposed). An August 2021 survey by PPC asked about the same proposal, but instead of a new payroll tax the funding would come from general revenues at an estimated cost of “around $23 billion a year.” A majority of 59% were in favor, including a majority of Democrats (82%), but just 35% of Republicans (with 64% opposed). Related Standard Polls When told that a national paid family and medical leave program would be paid for by increased payroll taxes on both employers and employees, but with no mention of the amount of the increase in payroll taxes, a majority have been in favor, with Republicans divided. The results are similar to those from PPC’s 2020 survey. Told to consider, “proposals for dealing with employees who need to take leave from work for family or medical reasons,” and asked whether they favor, “a government fund which all employers and employees would pay into through payroll contributions that would provide paid leave to any worker who needed to take it,” 62% favored the proposal (Republicans 51%, Democrats 72%). (November 2016, Pew) When asked about increasing Federal funding for paid family medical leave, without any more details, a large majority has been in support: A majority of 73% supported Federal funding for paid family and medical leave (exact wording not available). (YouGov/CBS News, October 2021 cited by New America) When asked about the government providing paid family and medical leave for parents specifically, a large bipartisan majority has been in support: Asked, “to what extent do you support or oppose the following components of the Build Back Better plan, which is estimated to cost up to $1.75 trillion? Paid family and medical leave for new parents,” a large bipartisan majority of 70% were in support, including 58% of Republicans and 82% of Democrats. (Morning Consult/Politico, November 2021) When asked about a Federal law requiring employers to offer paid parental leave, with the implication that employers would be covering the cost, a bipartisan majority has been in support: Asked whether they support Congress, “Requiring employers to offer paid parental leave for all working parents,” 70% were in support, including 62% of Republicans and 80% of Democrats. (YouGov, February 2023)