Child care system needs reform, not cuts

The end of COVID-era federal subsidies will mean more than 900 programs could be expected to close in Connecticut alone, leaving more than 37,000 children without care. Nationwide, more than 3 million children will lose out.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought an unprecedented influx of federal spending to keep people and the economy afloat. Amid fears of widespread, long-lasting unemployment, the federal government, under both parties, spent billions of dollars to shore up the social safety net and help people through what promised to be the most severe crisis in recent history.

The pandemic is largely in the past, even as COVID has continued to linger. The toll was severe, with more than 1.1 million deaths in this country traced to the coronavirus and its variants. But the toll on the economy turned out to be not nearly as severe as experts worried, and huge initial job losses were quickly turned around. The economy, by most standards, has been growing well for years now, again under both parties’ leadership.

The increased federal spending also made an enormous difference, and the end of those spending programs is hurting just as much. The program that made the most headlines was the expansion of the child tax credit, which has long been championed by U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3. That program worked just as planned, helping lift millions of children out of poverty.

When the tax credit was not extended, the effect was also predictable. The child poverty rate in America more than doubled last year, recent figures show, and the end of the child tax credit was a major reason why.

Now there’s another so-called fiscal cliff in sight, and it will affect child care. The end of COVIDera federal subsidies will mean more than 900 programs could be expected to close in Connecticut alone, leaving more than 37,000 children without care. Nationwide, more than 3 million children will lose out.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

COVID-era infusions, which began under former President Trump and continued in the Biden administration, were successful in helping people through difficult times. But regardless of what the economic indicators say, tough times haven’t ended for many people. Even as the unemployment rate is low, getting by in today’s economy remains a challenge.

Underfunding child care is not a solution for anyone. Families often need two wage-earners to live in an expensive state like Connecticut, but that leaves no one free to take care of young children. That’s where child care is so necessary, but the costs can be enormous.

Pandemic or no pandemic, this is a crisis for American families. There is no circumstance where society gains by making life harder on families in need.

Advocates say Connecticut is in a better position than other states to weather the loss of funding. But the inherent instability in the child-care sector means there will continue to be question marks. Caregivers don’t often earn enough to plan a stable career in the field, but every increase in their pay means more that families have to contribute.

It’s a system in need of reform. That doesn’t mean a drastic cut in funding. Lawmakers need to recognize the success of COVID-era programs like this and increase funding for child-care centers nationwide.