The Case for Child Care
Children and families need high-quality, affordable child care options to support school readiness for early learners and sustainable employment for parents. Child care supports healthy development and teaches fundamental skills that set children up for success in school and beyond.
Child care is also essential for many American families to be able to return to work. Family budgets are already being strained as many have been without work or had a decrease in income because of the virus. We need to ensure that all child care providers are supported – so that families are able to get back to work as soon as they’re able and the local economy can work toward recovery.
Why child care isn't accessible for families
The cost. The average annual cost for one infant in a center in Michigan is 19 percent for a median-income family and 54 percent for a minimum wage worker’s income. The cost average cost for an infant and a four year old is:
for in-home care
Getting it Right Early Pays Off
For parents, quality child care means peace of mind. Knowing that their child’s health, safety, and happiness is being addressed while they are away means that as parents they can show up physically and mentally for their work. For many families, quality child care is key to balancing work and family.
Investing in high-quality childhood programs benefits not only young children but also society as a whole.
This graphic shows that the highest rate of economic return comes from the earliest investments in children, providing an eye-opening understanding that society invests too much money on later development when it is often too late to provide great value.
![Heckman Graph](/imager/images/836/Heckman-Graph_de6b4611f02256c7d59ae05d294af274.jpg)