Hillary Clinton proposed a plan capping child care costs at 10 percent of income during a roundtable discussion in Kentucky on Tuesday, as she continues to try to solidify her support among women and suburban families.
“There’s this myth that’s outlived its usefulness about how basically you’re on your own [once you have a child]. I don’t buy that I don’t think that’s who we are. It’s not true. Its an excuse for not providing support for families and kids,” Clinton said while speaking at a childcare center in Louisville.
Her plan is aimed at both reducing the costs of child care and raising the incomes of child care workers by increasing the government’s involvement in early childhood education. Her campaign claims it would raise the wages of child care workers, provide home visiting services to over 2 million families in the next 10 years, award scholarships to students who are also raising children and increase access to child care on college campuses.
“We have to be more supportive of each other, and I think there’s a role for the federal government, the states, local government,” she said.
As Clinton prepares for a general election battle against presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump, her campaign has been emphasizing her commitments to help children and families. Trump has seen his popularity plummet among female voters. On Monday, Clinton held a similar roundtable discussion in Virginia to discuss work-life balance.
Clinton has also touted her plans for universal preschool for all children and mandatory paid maternity leave.
“We should think of child care as an investment,” Clinton said, later adding, “A lot of the [current] programs are designed for an earlier time that just doesn’t exist anymore.”
