Democratic Sen. Patty Murray criticized the Donald Trump administration’s plans to allow married couples with one nonworking parent to receive federal childcare subsidies. The proposal would expand the existing Child Care and Development Fund, a program that has helped parents pay for daycare and nannies for decades so they can work or attend school. If adopted, the federal government would for the first time directly support married parents’ decision to stay home and raise their children.
Murray and other critics say that, with the program’s budget unchanged, new recipients would receive funding at the expense of working parents, particularly single mothers and other families who currently make up most participants. The senator called the initiative illegal and “a return to the past,” saying the government should not penalize people for being single parents or choosing not to marry. In her view, using scarce funds to advance a “culture war” is not family policy but merely reduces assistance for those who truly need it.
The $12 billion federal program helps approximately 1.3 million children nationwide. Washington state receives about $316 million, but support is available to only a small share of eligible families. According to an advocacy organization, about 87% of children eligible for subsidies in the state receive no assistance because of insufficient funding. At the same time, the average cost of care for a child under age 5 in Washington is approximately $18,700 a year, while infant care in King County, including the Seattle area, can cost more than $30,000. For a family of three, a subsidy can reduce the monthly copayment to about $165.
Based on: Murray slams Trump plan to pay stay-at-home parents childcare subsidies