Posted: | February 16, 2023 09:17 AM |
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From: | Representative Tina M. Davis and Rep. Melissa L. Shusterman |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Easing the burden of child care costs |
As more people return to work, many families are facing a tough decision—should both parents head back to the office? With the rising costs of child care, caregivers, who are typically mothers, are delaying their return to the work force. As of September 2021, nearly 1.6 million mothers of children under 17 have not returned to their jobs. One of the top reasons? It is more cost-efficient to remain at home rather than pay for day care or summer camp. In Pennsylvania, child care for one child averages almost $12,000 annually. A survey conducted in 2021 showed that 85 percent of parents are spending 10 percent or more of their household income on child care. Our proposed legislation will build off of the child care tax credit that was passed as part of Pennsylvania’s 2022 budget. By increasing the credit incrementally, we ensure that the credit keeps up with rising costs over time and keeps people at work. Please join us in co-sponsoring this legislation. |
Introduced as HB1259