Warren introduces '$10 a day' child care legislation
BOSTON - Sen. Elizabeth Warren is pushing a plan that she says would cap child care costs at $10 a day for about half of American families.
Under her proposal, a Massachusetts family with an infant and 2-year-old making about $130,000 a year wouldn't pay more than $10 per day or $200 a month. That would be a big drop-off from the current average cost of $3,128 a month.
Massachusetts has some of the highest child care costs in the country, according to the latest Labor Department data. Parents spend between $16,000 and $26,000 dollars a year for child care -- that's about 20% of family budgets. And four counties in the state land on the Top 20 list of most expensive places for infant care.
The plan says higher-income families would have to spend no more than 7% of their earnings on child care, and those making under 75% of their state median income would be fully covered.
"A lack of child care is holding back our economy and keeping parents out of the workforce - it's giving lie to the notion that there's equal opportunity in our country," Warren said in a statement. "We can't build a future by shortchanging our babies and families. The more we invest in child care, the better for our families, our small businesses and our entire economy."
Sen. Ed Markey, Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu are among those backing the plan.
Warren's office said a "mandatory federal investment" would ensure universal access to child care, but did not put a price tag on the bill.