Bonnie Watson Coleman: “A couple of decades ago support for child care fell under conservative attack. At the time, the argument went that…”

“A couple of decades ago support for child care fell under conservative attack. At the time, the argument went that offering low cost or free child care to working families would create an incentive for women to leave their homes and their traditional roles as caretakers. That argument attempted to capitalize on panic about the collapse of the so-called traditional families. But to be honest, I don't think it ever had teeth in the first place. The reason most women left home to enter the workforce, the real reason that countless women work today, is to make ends meet. In an economy that is built to work for corporations and their CEOs, working families have found themselves trying to stretch every dollar. The leadership of this House seems content to keep that struggle going. It is time to take a second look at policies that will help our middle class. It is time to stand up for high-quality child care, accessible and affordable for every family, and a childcare workforce that earns the pay they deserve. Mr. Speaker, I want to make something very clear. This is neither an isolated problem, nor is it one with limited impact. This is the new normal. In addition to outrageous costs, limited access to quality child care and pre-K means stunted development for children and further division between those with means and those without. If you have got the resources, child care that costs more than the median rent isn't a big deal.…”