< https://portside.org/2021-10-11/how-other-nations-pay-child-care-us-outlier >
Rich countries contribute an average of $14,000 per year for a toddler’s care, compared with $500 in the U.S. The Democrats’ spending bill tries to shrink the gap.
2). “Barry Ford on Economic Toll of Inadequate Child Care in the U.S”, February 18, 2023, Barry Ford of the Council for a Strong America discussed a new report on the growing economic toll of inadequate child care in the U.S., Washington Journal on C-Span, video and transcript (posted at the end of this entry for The Class Struggle), available at <https://www.c-span.org/video/?525870-3/washington-journal-barry-ford-discusses-economic-toll-inadequate-child-care-us&event=525870&playEvent>
~~ recommended by dmorista ~~
Introduction by dmorista: I was tuned into C-Span‘s Washington Journal for a while yesterday morning and saw the Barry Ford interview. In the interview they referenced the New York Times article, “How Other Nations Pay for Child Care. The U.S. Is an Outlier.”, I posted the article that appeared in The New York Times on October, 6 of 2021, here below.
Ford is the CEO of a fairly typical Foundation supported non-profit organization, that focuses on improving the social conditions in the U.S. as a way of strengthening the country and bolstering its position in the world. He notes that he has many military officers and police departments that work with him, and the Council for a Strong America, in their efforts to improve the conditions for America’s children.
The article and the discussion on child welfare on The Washington Journal compare the U.S., and its lamentably low levels of public support for raising children, with a variety of other developed, and even a couple of semi-developed societies (Chile, Lithuania, and Hungary). The one common denominator is that none of those societies spends 70% of their discretionary National Budget on War and Imperialistic skullduggery like the U.S. does. They are Capitalist nations, with varying degrees of Social Democracy, and manage to spend from $29,796 per child per year (Norway) to $3,376 per child per year (Israel). The U.S. spends somewhat under $500 per child per year of public money on its children. So on a very real level we can say that the U.S. ruling class skimps on spending on the children of the U.S. so they can spend huge amounts of money murdering and exploiting people around the world. This is an outrage!!!
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< https://portside.org/2021-10-11/how-other-nations-pay-child-care-us-outlier >
Portside Date: October 11, 2021, Author: Claire Cain Miller
Date of source: October 6, 2021, Original Source: New York Times
Rich countries contribute an average of $14,000 per year for a toddler’s care, compared with $500 in the U.S. The Democrats’ spending bill tries to shrink the gap.
Typical 2-year-olds in Denmark attend child care during the day, where they are guaranteed a spot, and their parents pay no more than 25 percent of the cost. That guaranteed spot will remain until the children are in after-school care at age 10. If their parents choose to stay home or hire a nanny, the government helps pay for that, too.
Two-year-olds in the United States are less likely to attend formal child care. If they do, their parents pay full price — an average $1,100 a month — and compete to find a spot. If their parents stay home or find another arrangement, they are also on their own to finance it, as they will be until kindergarten.
In the developed world, the United States is an outlier in its low levels of financial support for young children’s care — something Democrats, with their safety net spending bill, are trying to change. The U.S. spends 0.2 percent of its G.D.P. on child care for children 2 and under — which amounts to about $200 a year for most families, in the form of a once-a-year tax credit for parents who pay for care.
The other wealthy countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development spend an average of 0.7 percent of G.D.P. on toddlers, mainly through heavily subsidized child care. Denmark, for example, spends $23,140 annually per child on care for children 2 and under.
“We as a society, with public funding, spend so much less on children before kindergarten than once they reach kindergarten,” said Elizabeth Davis, an economist studying child care at the University of Minnesota. “And yet the science of child development shows how very important investment in the youngest ages are, and we get societal benefits from those investments.”
Congress is negotiating the details of the spending bill, and many elements are likely to be cut to decrease the cost. The current draft of the child care plan would make attendance at licensed child care centers free for the lowest-earning families, and it would cost no more than 7 percent of family income for those earning up to double the state’s median income. It would provide universal public preschool for children ages 3 and 4. And it would increase the pay of child care workers and preschool teachers to be equivalent to elementary teachers (currently, the median hourly wage for a preschool teacher of 4-year-olds is $14.67, and for a kindergarten teacher of 5-year-olds $32.80).
Among the 38 nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United States is second only to Luxembourg on education spending for elementary school through college. But Americans have long had mixed feelings about whether young children should stay home with family or go to child care. Some Republicans say direct payments to parents would give them the choice to enroll in child care or stay home. Though many conservative-leaning states have public preschool, some Republicans have said they do not want the federal government involved. Some business groups oppose how the Biden spending bill would be paid for: increased taxes on businesses and wealthy Americans.
The pandemic, though, has forced the issue.
“I’ve been writing these reports saying this is a crisis for more than 30 years — it’s not new,” said Gina Adams, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute. “But the pandemic reminded people that child care is a linchpin of our economy. Parents can’t work without it. It’s gotten to a point where the costs of not investing are much, much more clear.”
Overall, federal, state and local governments spend about $1,000 a year on care for low-income children ages 2 and under, and $200 on other toddlers, according to a paper for the Hamilton Project at Brookings, by Professor Davis and Aaron Sojourner, also an economist at the University of Minnesota.
Some states and cities offer public preschool, starting at age 3 or 4. But just seven states (and the District of Columbia) serve more than half of 4-year-olds, and 14 states have no public preschool or serve less than 10 percent of children, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research.
Kaitlyn Parker, a teacher, with students at the Omaha Tribe Early Head Start in Macy, Neb. Head Start provides free child care for low-income families, but relatively few children receive the benefit.
Credit: City Journal Tim Hynds/Sioux City Journal // New York Times
For children under 3, only the poorest working families qualify for subsidies, through Early Head Start or the child care block grant, but fewer than one in six eligible children receive the help. For most families, the only direct government support for early care and education comes from the child and dependent care tax credit. It benefits higher earners most: The average credit is $586, and $124 for the lowest earners.
The situation is much different in many rich countries. In Europe, new parents have paid leaves of 14 months, on average, and it’s common for children to start public school at age 3. (In the preschool years, the focus in on play — toddlers aren’t sitting at desks doing worksheets.)
For children ages 1 and 2, parents are expected to pay more for child care, and there are similar tensions as in the United States about whether it’s best for children to be home with their parents, said Hans Bos, senior vice president studying education policy at the American Institutes for Research. But governments still pay a significant portion of the cost of care — including payments for stay-at-home parents in countries including Finland, South Korea and Denmark.
Nordic countries have the most generous child care systems, including free care for low-income families. In Denmark, in addition to heavily subsidized care for children up to age 10, which is mostly government-run but includes private centers and home-based care, parents of toddlers receive a quarterly child benefit of $700.
A Danish public child care center. The country guarantees that parents pay no more than 25 percent of the cost of care from the time their children are babies.
Credit: Mathias Svold for The New York Times
In Germany, children can attend forms of “kita” from early months through elementary school. In some places, parents pay tuition based on their income, and in others, including Berlin and Hamburg, it is free. In France, parents of babies and toddlers receive tax credits of up to 85 percent of the cost of attending child care centers called crèches or hiring home-based “childminders,” before public preschool begins at age 2 or 3.
Parents pay a much larger share of their earnings in certain other countries, but still receive more government assistance than in the United States. Japan has subsidized child care, but parents’ share of tuition is large and it is very hard to find spots. England and Ireland offer free preschool, but only for a few hours a day.
Governments sometimes help pay for child care to further various policy goals.
One is increasing fertility (though studies have found government policies don’t necessarily make people have more babies over the long run).
Another goal is increasing women’s labor force participation. In Europe, research shows, child care has had a bigger effect on this measure than policies like paid parental leave. Studies in the United States have also found that subsidized child care and preschool increase the chance that mothers keep working, particularly low-income women.
A third goal is ensuring that children of all backgrounds are equally prepared. Rich families can more easily afford high-quality care, which contributes to achievement gaps as early as kindergarten. Research in the United States shows that children are less likely to have formal child care if their parents are low earners, Hispanic or aren’t college graduates. Universal programs have been shown to shrink the gap in kindergarten readiness. Yet in the United States, one in three American children start kindergarten without any preschool at all.
[Claire Cain Miller writes about gender, families and the future of work for The Upshot. She joined The New York Times in 2008 and was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for public service for reporting on workplace sexual harassment issues. @clairecm • Facebook]
Source URL: https://portside.org/2021-10-11/how-other-nations-pay-child-care-us-outlier
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2). “Barry Ford on Economic Toll of Inadequate Child Care in the U.S”, February 18, 2023, Barry Ford of the Council for a Strong America discussed a new report on the growing economic toll of inadequate child care in the U.S., Washington Journal on C-Span, at <https://www.c-span.org/video/?525870-3/washington-journal-barry-ford-discusses-economic-toll-inadequate-child-care-us&event=525870&playEvent>, Transcript for interview posted below.
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Transcript:
HOST: WASHINGTON JOURNAL CONTINUES. I'M JOINED BY BARRY FORD, PRESIDENT AND CEO BARRY FORD. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A NEAR REPORT ON THE LACK OF ADEQUATE CHILDCARE IN THE U.S.
Barry Ford (BF): IT IS A PLEASURE TO BE HERE.
HOST: IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US ON THIS CONVERSATION, ASK A QUESTION, MAKE A COMMENT, YOU CAN CALL LOSS ON OUR LINE -- US ON OUR LINES BY REGION. IF YOU ARE IN THE EASTERN-S CENTRAL TIME ZONE, -- EASTERN-CENTRAL TIME ZONES, YOU CAN CALL US AT (202) 748-8000. IF YOU ARE IN THE PACIFIC-MOUNTAIN TIME ZONES, C ALL US AT (202) 748-8001.
Barry Ford (BF): WE MOBILIZE AND RECRUIT BUSINESS LEADERS THROUGH OUR ORGANIZATION, RETIRED ADMIRALS AND GENERALS. WE HAVE OVER 800 RETIRED ADMIRALS AND GENERALS. IT IS COMPRISED OF OVER 5000 LAW ENFORCEMENT EXECUTIVES, POLICE CHIEFS, AND PROSECUTORS. WHAT THEY HAVE IN COMMON IS THAT THEY KNOW THE FUTURE OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE STRENGTH OF OUR ECONOMY IS INCUMBENT UPON WHAT WE DO TO SUPPORT CHILDREN THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES. WE ORGANIZED THEM TO BE ADVOCATES FOR THOSE INVESTMENTS BASED ON THEIR OWN PERSONAL BACKGROUNDS. OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT LEADERS EMPHASIZE THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN EARLY CHILDHOOD AND COMMUNITY SAFETY. OUR MILITARY LEADERS TIE IT TO NATIONAL SECURITY. OUR BUSINESS LEADERS UNDERSTAND ITS IMPORTANCE TO THE ECONOMY.
HOST: I WANTED TO ASK YOU, THE REPORT WAS ISSUED BY READY NATION. TELL US ABOUT WHO THEY ARE.
Barry Ford (BF): READY NATION IS COMPRISED BY OVER 2000 IS THIS EXECUTIVES, A DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE. IT RANGES FROM FORTUNE 100 C SUITE EXECUTIVES TO PROPRIETORSHIPS ON MAIN STREET. WE HAVE SENIOR EXECUTIVES OF CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. SORRY, I DIDN'T ANSWER IT INITIALLY. WE ARE PRIMARILY FUNDED BY FOUNDATIONS. THE FLORENCE -- LARGE STATE FOUNDATIONS SUPPORT OUR WORK. FOR EXAMPLE, GAETZ, JOHNSON, THE FORD FOUNDATION SUPPORTS US. WE ALSO GET SOME SUPPORT FROM INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING ARMED -- OUR BOARD MEMBERS.
HOST: LET'S LOOK AT SOME OF THE NUMBERS FROM THE REPORT. WORKING PARENTS -REDUCED PARTICIPATION IN THE LABOR MARKET- , LOWER RETURNS, BUSINESSES LOSE $3280 PER WORKER IN LOST REVENUE AND EXTRA RECRUITMENT COSTS. THEN THERE IS THE COST TO THE TAXPAYERS. THEY LOSE $1700 PER WORKING PARENT IN TEXT. HOW ARE YOU GETTING THOSE NUMBERS? WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE COST OF CHILDCARE, YOU'RE REALLY THINKING ABOUT THE PARENTS.
Barry Ford (BF): THE NUMBERS YOU CITED ARE THE NUMBERS FOR 0 TO 5. I WANT TO FOCUS ON WHAT THE REPORT REALLY FOCUSES ON, 0 TO 3. THE TOTAL COST FOR NOT HAVING HIGH QUALITY, AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE IS $122 MILLION. PER PARENT IT IS $5,000 A YEAR. $5,520 A YEAR. FOR THE TOTAL AGGREGATE OF PARENTS THE TOTAL COST IS $78 BILLION. FOR THE TAXPAYER THIS IS LOST TO TAX REVENUE, PEOPLE NOT BEING ABLE TO BE IN THEIR JOBS, WORK DISRUPTIONS, BEING FORCED TO TAKE SHORTER HOURS, THINGS LIKE THAT. THE COST TO THE TAXPAYER IS $21 BILLION.
HOST: HOW DO YOU GET TO THOSE NUMBERS?
Barry Ford (BF): LET ME BE CLEAR, THE REPORT IS BASED ON A NATIONAL SURVEY. WE SURVEYED OVER 800 PARENTS BOTH MEN AND WOMEN OF CHILDREN 0 TO 3. THE SAMPLE WAS DESIGNED TO BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ENTIRE COUNTRY DEMOGRAPHICALLY. WE ASK THEM QUESTIONS BASED UPON FOUR DIFFERENT SETS OF ISSUES. THE EFFECT OF THE LACK OF AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE ON THEIR PRODUCTIVITY, THE TIME THEY COULD SPEND AT WORK, DISRUPTIONS TO THEIR EMPLOYMENT, WHETHER THEY WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE WITH TRAINING AND TAKE PROMOTIONS THROUGH THEIR CAREER PATHS. ACROSS THOSE 4 DIMENSIONS PARENTS REPORTED DISTRESS, AND FRANKLY, IN MANY CASES, THAT CHILDCARE WAS PREVENTING THEM FROM BEING EFFECTIVE ECONOMIC ACTORS. WE TOOK THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS ACROSS THOSE FOUR DIMENSIONS AND ASKED AN ECONOMIST, PUT IT INTO A MODEL AND GIVE US WHAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THAT IS.
HOST: THE REPORT SAYS THAT THE TOTAL LOSSES AMOUNT TO 122 BILLION DOLLARS EVERY YEAR. WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE DEFENSE BUDGET, WHICH IS ALSO A LOT OF MONEY, BUT THAT IS DOUBLE WHAT IT WAS BACKIN -- BACK IN 2018. WHY THE DRAMATIC INCREASE?
Barry Ford (BF): OF COURSE THE PANDEMIC IS THE BIGGEST ONE. THE SECOND IS INEFFECTIVE OR INCOMPLETE POLICY ACTION AT THE FEDERAL-STATE LEVEL. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT BOTH. THE PANDEMIC CONTRACTED OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE WORKFORCE, BUT IT ALSO DRAMATICALLY CUT BACK ON THE AVAILABILITY OF CHILDCARE BECAUSE CHILDCARE CENTERS HAD TO CLOSE, PROVIDERS HAD TO LAY OFF PEOPLE. AVAILABILITY OF CHILDCARE WAS NOT THERE. WHAT WE REALIZED IN OUR SURVEY WERE THE IMPACTS ON PARENTS AND WORKERS WAS MORE THAN DOUBLE PARENTS REPORTED THEY HAD TO WORK PART-TIME, HAVE OTHER WORK ARRANGEMENTS. 3 TIMES THE PARENTS SAID THEY HAD TO END THEIR EMPLOYMENT, FIRED OR LAID OFF. DOUBLE THE PARENTS SAID THEY HAD TO TAKE SOME KIND OF -- THEY WERE UNPRODUCTIVE. THEY HAD TO GO TO WORK LATE. STRESS!
HOST: A LOT GOING ON THERE.
Barry Ford (BF): DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WERE FACING THOSE THINGS BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
HOST: LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT PRESIDENT BIDEN. HE WAS SPEAKING ABOUT THIS TOPIC AT THE STATE OF THE UNION. THIS WAS LAST WEEK, TALKING ABOUT RELIEF FOR WORKING PARENTS. [VIDEO]
President Biden: LET'S MAKE SURE WORKING PARENTS CAN AFFORD TO RAISE A FAMILY WITH PAID MEDICAL LEAVE, AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE. [APPLAUSE] THAT WILL ENABLE MILLIONS MORE PEOPLE TO WORK. LET'S RESTORE THE FULL CHILD TAX CREDIT, WHICH GAVE TENS OF MILLIONS OF PARENTS BREATHING ROOM. WHEN WE, DO ALL THESE THINGS WE INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY, WE INCREASE ECONOMIC GROWTH.
HOST: THAT WAS THE PRESIDENT AT THE STATE OF THE UNION TALKING ABOUT CHILDCARE ISSUES. BARRY, HE TALKED ABOUT THE CHILD TAX CREDIT. THIS WAS ABOUT A FAILURE AT STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS, EVEN THE FEDERAL LEVEL. EXPLAIN THAT.
Barry Ford (BF): THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, THE COVID RELIEF DOLLARS THAT WENT INTO CHILDCARE WERE CRITICAL. THEY WERE IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY HELPED STABILIZE THE FIELD, BUT THEY WERE NOT ENOUGH TO REPLACE THE STRUGGLES THE FIELD HAD BEFORE THE PANDEMIC. THE CRISIS IN CHILDCARE EXISTED BEFORE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. WHAT THE PANDEMIC DID WAS MAKE EVERYTHING WORSE. THE RESCUE DOLLARS PREVENTED THAT PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY FROM BASICALLY DESTROYING THE ENTIRE FIELD. WHAT IT HASN'T DONE, AND WHAT FRANKLY POLICY HAS NOT DONE YET, IS HELP THE FIELD REBUILD AND BECOME STRONGER AND MORE RESILIENT. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT STATE POLICY MAKERS HAVE REALIZED. MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE. PRESIDENT BIDEN'S COMMENTS ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. IT IS NOT THAT IT NEEDS TO BE DONE ONLY FOR THE BENEFIT OF FAMILIES AND CHILDREN. WE NEED TO DO IT BECAUSE IT IS HOW WE REMAIN COMPETITIVE AS AN ECONOMY. IT IS HOW THIS COUNTRY IS ABLE TO SUCCEED IN THE 21ST CENTURY. OTHER COUNTRIES ARE INVESTING MILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS MORE.
HOST: I WILL REMIND EVERYBODY OF OUR LINES. THEY ARE VERY REGION THIS TIME. THOSE NUMBERS ARE (202) 748-8000 IF YOU ARE IN THE CENTRAL-EASTERN TIME ZONE. (202) 748-8001 IF YOU ARE IN THE MOUNTAIN-PACIFIC TIME ZONE. (202) 748-8002, IF YOU ARE A PARENT. WE HAVE A TWEET THAT ASKS WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE GOALS?
Barry Ford (BF): ONE OF THE THINGS I AM MOST PROUD OF IS OUR ABILITY TO MOBILIZE UNEXPECTED MESSENGERS WHO CAN BREAK DOWN THE IDEOLOGICAL DIVISIONS THAT HAVE HAMPERED MOST OF THEIR PUBLIC POLICY COMMENTS. I'M FRANKLY MOST PROUD IN THE ENGAGEMENT OF OUR MEMBERSHIP GROUPS, ARE ENFORCEMENT EXECUTIVES, OR BUSINESS LEADERS -- OUR BUSINESS LEADERS WHO ARE IMPRESSIVE TO WORK WITH. THEY ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO THE INVESTMENT IN OUR CHILDREN AND OUR ABILITY TO ENGAGE THEM HAS BEEN IMPORTANT.
HOST: HERE IS A TWEET FROM RON. HE SAYS " TRICKLENOMICS REPUBLICANS CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHY NO ONE IS HAVING (Babies). THEY CANNOT -- HAVING BABIES. THEY CANNOT GET TIME, OFF WORK THEY CANNOT BUY A HOME."
HOST: HE DID TALK ABOUT DECENT WAGES. THEY CANNOT GET TIME OFF. THIS WAS INTERESTING IN THE REPORT ABOUT LOWER PRODUCTIVITY AT WORK. IT SAYS 64% SAID THAT THEY HAD BEEN LATE TO WORK BECAUSE OF THE RESULTS OF CHILDCARE PROBLEMS IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS. 64% HAD TO LEAVE WORK EARLY. 53% REPORTED BEING DISTRACTED AT WORK BECAUSE OF CHILDCARE PROBLEMS. 54% MISSED PART OF THEIR WORK SHIFT. WHAT DO YOU THINK, BARRY?
Barry Ford (BF): I THINK THAT HIGHLIGHTS HOW STRESSFUL IT IS TO BE THE PARENT OF A YOUNG CHILD IN THE U.S. ECONOMY. WE AS A COUNTRY DO NOT HAVE THE PUBLIC SUPPORTS FAMILIES NEED TO BE FULLY ENGAGED IN THE ECONOMY. THIS IS THE PROBLEM -- WE REQUIRE PARENTS TO FIGURE IT OUT ON THEIR OWN TOO MUCH. WE ASK THEM TO SPEND TOO MUCH OF THEIR MONEY TO DO THIS. OF COURSE THEY ARE GOING TO BE DISTRACTED! OF COURSE THEY WILL BE WORRIED! THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO AFFORD STABLE ARRANGEMENTS/ THAT IS WHY OUR BUSINESS LEADERS HAVE BEEN FOCUSED BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT IN ORDER FOR OUR ECONOMY TO REACH ITS FULL POTENTIAL, WE HAVE TO ENABLE PARENTS WHO ARE WORKING TO FEEL FULLY PRESENT IN THEIR WORK. THE ONLY WAY WE DO THAT IS MAKE SURE THEIR CHILDREN ARE SAFE, THEY ARE IN NURTURING AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENTS, AND THEY ARE OF HIGH QUALITY.
HOST: THERE IS ONE MORE TEXT BEFORE WE GET TO CALLS, VICKI IN WICHITA, KANSAS SAYS, " THERE ARE SO MANY WOMEN WHO WOULD STAY HOME WITH THEIR CHILDREN, LIKE I DID, THAT THERE IS CULTURAL PRESSURE. I THINK STAY-AT-HOME PARENTS NEED MORE RESPECT."
Barry Ford (BF): I AGREE WITH YOU. WHAT WE ARE DRIVING TOWARDS HERE, AND I WANT TO MAKE THIS POINT DRAMATICALLY, THIS IS NOT SIMPLY ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDING CHILDCARE, OR SUPPORTING CHILDCARE. WHAT THIS IS ABOUT IS STRUCTURING AN ECONOMY THAT ALLOWS FAMILIES TO MAKE CHOICES THAT BENEFIT THEM. IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE NEED TO HAVE AN INFRASTRUCTURE, WE NEED TO HAVE A SYSTEM THAT ENABLES FAMILIES THAT NEED WORK, AND FRANKLY THAT IS MOST FAMILIES. CHILDREN UNDER 3 ARE IN HOUSEHOLDS WHERE ALL AVAILABLE PARENTS NEED TO BE IN THE WORKFORCE. IF THAT IS THE CASE, WE NEED TO HAVE A SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS THAT. WE ALSO NEED TO SUPPORT FAMILY CHOICES. LEAVE, PAID LEAVE, OTHER KINDS OF LEAVE OPTIONS, IF A PARENT WANTS TO STAY HOME WITH THEIR CHILD. THEY NEED THE SUPPORT TO DO SO.
HOST: JONATHAN IS CALLING US FROM CALIFORNIA. HE IS A PARENT.
Caller: HI. THANK YOU, MR. FORD. I AM A PARENT AND I CAN RELATE TO WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. IT IS EXTREMELY STRESSFUL. MY WIFE AND I HAVE HAD TO CUT BACK ON HOURS, OR NOT GO IN TO CERTAIN KINDS OF JOBS OR POTENTIAL PROMOTIONS. WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT? WHAT CAN THE AVERAGE VIEWER AT HOME, WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON THIS ISSUE?
Barry Ford (BF): I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION, JONATHAN. THE KEY, I THINK, FOR CITIZENS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, IF YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT THIS ISSUE, HIS FIRST CALL OR WRITE YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS. THAT SOUNDS SIMPLE AND PAT, BUT RIGHT NOW ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS THERE ARE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE WHO SAID THEY ARE OPEN TO DOUBLING THE CHILDCARE DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, AND THAT WOULD BE A HUGE BENEFIT FOR LOW INCOME FAMILIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. I ALSO THINK THAT THERE IS AN APPETITE TO INCREASE CHILDCARE TAX CREDITS THAT WILL ALLOW MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILIES TO SUPPLEMENT WHAT THEY ARE SPENDING IN TERMS OF CHILDCARE AND HELP SUPPORT THE COST OF IT.
HOST: SPEAKING OF THAT, BARRY, THERE IS AN ARTICLE BY THE NEW YORK TIMES. IT SAYS " HOW OTHER COUNTRIES SAFER CHILDCARE, THE U.S. IS AN OUTLIER. THE DEMOCRATS' SPENDING BILL TRIES TO SHRINK THE GAP."
Barry Ford (BF): IT IS INTERESTING YOU MENTION THAT. IT IS A FACT THAT I USE OFTEN BECAUSE THIS IS NOT WHAT ABOUT THE U.S. SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT BE DOING. WE ARE COMPETING WITH COUNTRIES WHO HAVE MADE DIFFERENT CHOICES, WHO I THINK HAVE MADE.CORRECT CHOICES -- HAVING THE PUBLIC RESOURCES FLOWING TO PARENTS, $500 A YEAR DOES NOT EVEN BEGIN TO CUT IT. I DON'T WANT THIS TO BE PERCEIVED AS SIMPLY A DEMOCRATIC ISSUE. WE ARE A DEEPLY BIPARTISAN ORGANIZATION. SORRY ABOUT THAT. WE WORK ACROSS THE COUNTRY. I HAVE STAFF IN 10 STATES, MEMBERS IN EVERY STATE. FROM NORTH THE QUARTER -- NORTH DAKOTA TO NEW YORK, POLICY MAKERS ARE MAKING THE CHOICES TO INVEST THEIR STATE RESOURCES TO TRY AND MITIGATE THIS PROBLEM. THE ISSUE FOR THEM IS THAT NO STATE IS WEALTHY ENOUGH TO SOLVE THIS ENTIRE PROBLEM. THAT IS WHY YOU NEED A FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP.
HOST: SPEAKING OF THAT, LET'S HEAR FROM REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR KRISTI NOEM. SHE IS SOUTH DAKOTA GOVERNOR. SHE HIGHLIGHTED THE NEED FOR IMPROVING ACCESS TO CHILDCARE IN HER STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS EARLIER THIS YEAR. [VIDEO CLIP]
K Noem: I KNOW ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FAMILIES FACE IS ACCESS TO CHILDCARE. FAMILIES MIGHT HAVE TO GO ON A WAITLIST FOR MANY MONTHS BEFORE THE CHILD IS EVEN BORN EVEN DEFINED CHILDCARE THAT -- TO FIND CHILDCARE ADEQUATE TO MEET THEIR NEEDS. ONE PARENT MAY EVEN NEED TO STOP WORKING. WE WILL BE COMPLETING OUR OVERHAUL OF CHILDCARE RULES AND REGULATIONS. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH CHILDCARE PROVIDERS TO REWRITE THOSE ROLES IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE WHILE PRIORITIZING AND KEEPING OUR KIDS SAFE. WE WILL BE RELEASING $40 MILLION IN FEDERAL GRANTS FOR CHILDCARE PROVIDERS. WE HAVE SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH PROVIDERS SO THOSE GRANTS WILL TARGET EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEEDED FROM START UP FUNDS TO QUALITY INITIATIVES. WE ALSO HEARD FROM CHILDCARE PROVIDERS AND THE PROBLEMS THEY FACE WITH THE WORKFORCE. WE WILL MAKE IT MORE ATTRACTIVE TO WORK IN THE CHILDCARE FIELD. CURRENTLY CHILDCARE EMPLOYERS STRUGGLED TO GIVE BENEFITS TO THEIR EMPLOYEES. WE WITH --
HOST: I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT SOMETHING SHE SAID, WHICH IS ABOUT THE CHILDCARE INDUSTRY. A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE LAID OFF DURING THE PANDEMIC. HERE IS A CHART FROM BERKELEY ABOUT CHILDCARE JOBS NATIONWIDE. THERE WAS A DEPTH DURING THE PANDEMIC. IS IT BACK?
Barry Ford (BF): IT IS NOT FULLY BACK. WE ARE STILL 5.5% DOWN FROM WHAT THE WORKFORCE WAS IN FEBRUARY 2020. THAT IS 58,000 CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS WHO ARE NO LONGER IN THE FIELD AT THEIR POSTS SO TO SPEAK. WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS THOUGH -- I WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THIS -- IT WAS NOT NIRVANA IN 2020. WE WERE IN TROUBLE THEN. WE PREVENTED THE COLLAPSE OF THE INDUSTRY. WE NEED TO DO MORE TO BRING IT BACK. IT IS POWERFUL THAT A REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR IS SAYING THIS, WHAT NOEM SAID. IT IS CRITICAL. THE EARLY CHILDHOOD WORKFORCE NEEDS TO BE PAID IN A WAY THAT MAKES IT ATTRACTIVE, THAT KEEPS PEOPLE IN THE FIELD, AND ALLOWS PEOPLE TO GROW IN THE FIELD. ONE OF THE KEY INDICATIONS OF QUALITY IS THE QUALITY OF THE CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR IN THAT ROOM. IF WE DO NOT PAY THEM ENOUGH TO MAKE A LIVING WAGE, IF THEY HAVE TO BE ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, THEN YOU GET TO A PLACE WHERE YOU WILL GET A COMPLETE TURNOVER OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
HOST: LET'S TALK TO DANNY. HE IS A PARENT IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. HOW OLD ARE YOUR KIDS?
Caller: MY GRANDKIDS NOW, BUT IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY KIDS. LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MYSELF. I WAS A REFUGEE CHILD POST-WORLD WA
R II. THE URBAN SITUATION THAT EXISTED BEGAN AT 6:00 IN THE MORNING AND ENDED AT SIX CLOCK IN THE EVENING. AT THAT TIME IT WAS NOT CHILDCARE, BUT CHILDHOOD EDUCATION THROUGHOUT. THERE WAS A LOT OF ATHLETICS. THERE WERE 3 MONTHS OF VACATION EVERY YEAR. SOMEHOW, THAT GOT US THROUGH THE VERY DIFFICULT AND CHAOTIC TIME OF POSTWAR EUROPE,. AT THE END OF 12 YEARS OF EDUCATION, WE WENT TO COLLEGE, WHICH WAS 4 YEARS. THE ISSUE IS HIGH QUALITY TEACHERS, EXTENDED SCHOOL DAYS SO PARENTS CAN HAVE ALL THE TIME NEEDED FOR THE ECONOMIC ISSUES THEY HAVE TO FACE, AND I WONDER WHY IS AMERICAN SCHOOL SO SHORT, THE PEDAGOGY SO CRUMMY? IT IS CUSTODIAL CARE FOR THE KIDS. PEOPLE WONDER WHY THE KIDS COME OUT SO BAD. IT WAS A HELL OF A STRUGGLE BECAUSE OF THE LOW QUALITY OF THE SCHOOLS.
HOST: DAN TALKING ABOUT THE QUALITY AND ALSO EXTENDING SCHOOL DAYS. THAT WILL COST A LOT OF MONEY.
Barry Ford (BF): I APPRECIATE DAN'S FRUSTRATION, BUT LET ME SAY TWO THINGS. FIRST, OUR FOCUS WITH THIS REPORT IS ON BEFORE SCHOOL, BECAUSE SO MANY KIDS SHOW UP TO CAN GARDEN NOT READY TO LEARN -- KINDERGARTEN, NOT READY TO LEARN, WHICH PUTS THEM BACK AND MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE K-12 SYSTEM TO FUNCTION. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN THROUGHOUT A YOUNG CHILD'S LIFE IS TO RECOGNIZE THAT KIDS ARE LEARNING ALL THE TIME, AND THEY START LEARNING FROM BIRTH. IT IS NOT SIMPLY THE RESPONSIBILITY OR THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE K-12 SYSTEM. IT IS FRANKLY SOMETHING THAT WE AS A SOCIETY NEED TO TAKE SERIOUSLY SO WE ARE SUPPORTING KIDS, NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE, LIVE IN HEALTHY, NURTURING ENVIRONMENTS. I THINK MOST PARENTS WOULD HAVE ISSUE WITH 6:00 TO 6:00 AS A SCHOOL DAY!
Caller??: UNLESS THEY NEED IT.
Barry Ford (BF): UNLESS THEY NEED IT. MOST PARENTS WOULD SAY I WANT MY CHILD CARED FOR IN THOSE HOURS WHEN I CANNOT CARE FOR THEM MYSELF. CREATIVE, NURTURING ENVIRONMENTS FOR THEM TO BE AND WHETHER THEY ARE IN OR OUT OF SCHOOL.
HOST: LET'S TALK TO JOE, A PARENT IN NORTH CAROLINA.
Caller: GOOD MORNING. IT IS A SIMPLE FIX. THERE ARE THREE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO FIX THE SYSTEM. NUMBER ONE, STOP GIVING MONEY TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES IN THE BUDGET. NUMBER TWO, BUT ALL OF THE ILLEGAL ALIENS BACK WHERE THEY CAME FROM, NOT TO GIVE THEM FOOD, CLOTHES, EVERYTHING ELSE. NUMBER THREE, PUT $6 TRILLION BACK INTO THE SOCIAL SECURITY TRUST FUND. YOU WOULD GIVE THE ELDERLY PEOPLE A BOOST IN THEIR LIVING. YOU WOULD GIVE MEDICAID A BOOST, MEDICARE A BOOST, DISABILITY AND THE VETERANS. THEY CAN TAKE IT OUT AND PUT IT IN THE TREASURY.
Barry Ford (BF): YOU ARE A PARENT. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR KIDS. HOW OLD ARE THEY?
Caller: WE HAVE A GREAT-GRANDCHILD. HE IS TWO YEARS OLD. WE HAVE FOUR KIDS, 4 GRANDKIDS WHO ARE 26, 25 --
Barry Ford (BF): I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE TWO-YEAR-OLD. IS HE IN DAYCARE? DO THE PARENTS STAY HOME?
Caller: THE TWO-YEAR-OLD HAS AUTISM AND THE MOTHER TAKES CARE OF IT THE BEST WAY SHE CAN, AND EVERYBODY HELPS OUT, AND THE 11-YEAR-OLD KEEPS ON GETTING SICK AND THE MOTHER DOES A VERY GOOD JOB, BUT YOU CANNOT AFFORD MEDICAL INSURANCE ON THE KID. THIS IS WHAT I AM SAYING. ALL YOU BIG SHOTS, PUT THAT BACK INTO SOCIAL SECURITY AND WITH $500 BILLION A YEAR YOU WOULD END ALL THIS NONSENSE. HE HAS A NICE, CUSTOM SUIT ON.
HOST: HE DID MENTION A TWO-YEAR-OLD WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.
Barry Ford (BF): PART OF WHAT IS SO CHALLENGING ABOUT SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS IS IT IS NOT A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL. WE NEED TO HAVE A SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS PARENTS TO BE IN CONTROL AND UNDERSTAND AND GET THE SUPPORT THEY NEED, WHAT THEIR KIDS NEED TO BE READY TO LEARN, WHAT KIDS NEED TO BE THE BEST THEY CAN BE. THAT WILL NOT BE THE SAME IN NORTH CAROLINA AS IT IS IN SOUTH DAKOTA, AND IT WILL BE THE SAME FROM COUNTY TO COUNTY -- WON'T BE THE SAME FROM COUNTY TO COUNTY. THE IDEA OF PRIVATE-PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP, ALL HANDS ON DECK, AND THE STATE, COMMUNITY, AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ALL NEED TO BE A PART OF SOLVING THIS PROBLEM.
HOST??: IN ARLINGTON VIRGINIA, " $122 BILLION IS A HUGE LOSS. WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING IN THE LONG RUN IF WE DO NOT ADDRESS THIS CHILDCARE CRISIS NOW?"
Barry Ford (BF): IN THE LONG RUN, WE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW BEHIND -- FALL BEHIND. WE ARE BEGINNING TO SEE IT IN THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. I THINK WE LOSE INNOVATION. I THINK WE LOSE OUR EDGE IN TERMS OF ECONOMICS. WE BEGIN TO DAMAGE OUR NATIONAL SECURITY. HIGH-QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, NOT JUST SUPPORT. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT, BUT FRANKLY THE IMPACTS ARE MULTIPLE, NOT JUST TO THE ECONOMY. IT IS TO THE HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE, WHICH MEANS THAT IT WILL BEGIN TO ADD TO THE NUMBER THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE IS DEALING WITH. 77% AGES 18 TO 24 ARE INELIGIBLE TO BE IN THE MILITARY. OR OBESE -- EITHER THEY ARE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE, THEY CANNOT PASS THE ENTRANCE EXAM, OR THEY HAVE SOME INVOLVEMENT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT. IT KEEPS YOU IN SCHOOL, KEEPS YOU SAFE, KEEPS YOU ON TRACK, HELPS YOU DEVELOP HEALTHY HABITS, SO IF YOU CHOOSE TO YOU CAN HELP SERVE THE NATION. IT IS NOT JUST THE ECONOMIC LOSSES WE ARE FACING. IT IS ALSO THE COST TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY.
HOST: LET'S TALK TO CHERYL IN MANTECA, CALIFORNIA. YOU'RE ALSO A PARENT.
Caller: I'M A -- ALSO A PARENT. I'M A GRANDPARENT NOW. WHAT I WANTED TO SAY HERE IS MR. FORD BROUGHT UP A WONDERFUL POINT. IT HAS TO BE A HOLISTIC APPROACH. , CORPORATIONS, THE GOVERNMENT, THE PARENTS, EVERYBODY WORKING COLLECTIVELY. WHAT I THINK WOULD BE A SOLUTION TO THIS ISSUE IS, MOST PARENTS, WHEN YOUR CHILDREN ARE YOUNG THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR SAFETY AND MAKING SURE THAT WHEN YOUR CHILDREN ARE IN CHILDCARE, THEY CANNOT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, SO WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THEM IS SAFETY. I THINK IF WE COULD COME UP WITH A MODEL THAT SAYS WHEN PARENTS ARE COMMUTING TO WORK THEY CAN BRING THEIR CHILDREN TO WORK AND HAVE A CHILD FACILITY ON SITE THAT THEY CAN BRING THEIR CHILDREN TO BECAUSE CORPORATIONS, WHEN THEY HIRE PEOPLE, THEY DO THE LEGWORK IN MAKING SURE THAT THEY PASS WHATEVER SAFETY CHECKS THEY NEED TO PASS. NUMBER ONE, THE PARENTS WILL NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING THE CHILDREN READY IN THE MORNING AND TAKING THEM SOMEWHERE 10 OR 15 MILES AND THEN HAVE TO GO BACK ON ROUTE TO GET TO WORK, THEY HAVE THIS ONE DESTINATION, BE ABLE TO DROP THEIR CHILDREN OFF WHEN THEY TAKE THEIR BREAK THEY CAN CHECK ON THEIR CHILDREN. THAT WOULD EASE A LOT OF PRESSURE ON PARENTS, IF THEY HAD TO WORK LATE, THE FACILITY CAN BE SET UP SO IT IS CONDUCIVE TO WORK HOURS. THAT TO ME WOULD SOLVE ONE PORTION OF THE ISSUE. THE OTHER THING IS, WHEN YOU GET INTO SPECIAL-NEEDS CHILDREN, NOW IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING WHERE CORPORATIONS ARE WORKING WITH YOU, NOW YOU FREE UP MONIES THAT CAN BE SPENT ON GIVING SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN THE RESOURCES THAT THEY TRULY NEED AND THE QUALITY CARE THAT THEY NEED. BRINGING THE GOVERNMENT INTO THIS MAKES IT WORSE, BECAUSE AT THIS POINT INCENTIVES FOR CORPORATIONS COULD BE BUILT INTO IT. INCENTIVES FOR PARENTS AS PART OF THEIR BENEFITS PACKAGE. TO ME, IT SEEMS LIKE WE NEED TO THINK IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY.
HOST: ALL RIGHT, LET'S GET A RESPONSE.
Barry Ford (BF): CALLER RAISED IS REALLY IMPORTANT, I THINK. MANY CORPORATIONS DO ORGANIZE CHILDCARE, BUT ONLY FOR LARGE AND REALLY WEALTHY PRIVATE ENTITIES CAN DO THAT. HALF OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMY IS MADE UP OF SMALL BUSINESSES. IT IS NOT REALISTIC TO THINK THAT EVERY PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYER I GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDES CHILDCARE ON-SITE. SOME MANUFACTURING FACILITIES, IT IS COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE TO HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN ANYWHERE NEAR THE WORK OF THEIR PARENT. A LOT OF COMPANIES AND PRIVATE SECTOR ACTORS ARE TRYING TO ENGAGE IN COLLECTIVE ACTION. YOU WILL HAVE A GROUP OF SMALLER COMPANIES COMING TOGETHER TO SEE IF THEY CAN COLLECTIVELY HELP SUPPORT A THIRD-PARTY, SOME KIND OF CONTRACTOR WHO WILL PROVIDE CHILDCARE SERVICE FOR PROFIT OR NONPROFIT. EVEN THAT IS NOT ENOUGH. PART OF WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN, I WOULD ARGUE, AND PART OF WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE LOOKING FOR IS THERE NEEDS TO BE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT INCENTIVIZING WITH TAX CREDITS IN ORDER TO ENABLE EMPLOYERS TO HELP CATALYZE THE SUPPORT OF CHILDCARE PROVIDERS. THERE ALSO NEED TO BE DIRECT GRANTS TO CHILDCARE PROVIDERS. IN MANY COMMUNITIES, THERE JUST IS NO PROVIDER. THERE IS NO LICENSED CHILDCARE PROVIDER ANYWHERE CLOSE. HALF OF AMERICA LIVES IN A CHILDCARE DESERT. FOR EVERY 3 CHILDREN THERE IS ONLY ONE LICENSED CHILDCARE SLOT. WE NEED TO DO A LOT MORE TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUPPLY. IT IS NOT A MARKET WHERE SUPPLY AND DEMAND REALLY FUNCTIONS. THE REASON IT DOES NOT FUNCTION IS BECAUSE TOO MUCH OF THE COST OF CHILDCARE HAS BEEN PUT ON THE BACKS OF PARENTS AND PARENTS CANNOT PAY ENOUGH TO CHILDCARE PROVIDERS SO THAT CHILDCARE EDUCATORS CAN MAKE A LIVING WAGE. THERE NEEDS TO BE OTHER RESOURCES, MORE MONEY, AND THE LOGICAL AND OBVIOUS PLACE FOR THAT COME FROM OUR STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RESOURCES.
HOST: KEITH IS NEXT, PALM BAY, FLORIDA.
Caller: I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING, THIS TO FORD -- MR. FORD. YOU NEED TO BE COMMENDED FOR TRYING TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. THE PREVIOUS CALLER SAID A HOLISTIC VIEW. ITHE ONE COLOR ASKED DO YOU -- CALLER ASKED STEELE WHAT IS THAT THING I CAN DO MOST TO HELP -- ASKED YOU WHAT IS THE THING I CAN DO MOST TO HELP. I WOULD SAY CALL AROUND TO YOUR FAMILY FIRST, SEE IF THEY NEED HELP ANYWHERE. ASK AROUND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, SEE IF THEY NEED ANY HELP. WE KEEP LOOKING TO THE GOVERNMENT TO HELP MICROMANAGE. THEY SHOULD BE HELPING THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, INSTEAD OF MICROMANAGING .WE NEED TO GET BACK TO FAMILIES. I SUGGEST PARENTS SIT DOWN, IF THEY GOING TO HAVE A CHILD AND PLAN OUT, WHICH ONE IS MORE APT TO GO FURTHER IN A CAREER? WHICH ONE IS MORE APT TO TAKE A 5 YEAR PERIOD OFF. I REMEMBER STUDYING DURING THE 60'S AND 70'S. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS MR. SPOCK, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT PERIOD IN A CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT IS FROM 0 TO FIVE YEARS OLD.
Barry Ford (BF): I THINK FAMILIES DO THIS ALREADY IN REACHING OUT TO FAMILIES, FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS TO HELP WITH INFORMAL CHILDCARE ARRANGEMENTS. THAT IS HOW IN THESE CHILDCARE DESERTS I JUST MEN AND -- JUST MENTIONED PEOPLE ARE GOING TO WORK. THEY FIGURE IT OUT. THE POINT IS THAT IN DOING SO, THE STRESS AND FIGURING IT OUT, IS COSTING US BILLIONS AS A COUNTRY. THE CORE ANSWER IS,, YES PARENTS NEED TO BE IN THE DRIVER SEAT AS FOR WHAT THEY NEED. IF A FAMILY DETERMINES THAT THE PARENT SHOULD STAY HOME, WE SHOULD HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS THAT DECISION. WE DO NOT LIVE IN A SOCIETY THAT SUPPORTS PARENTS STAYING AT HOME. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF STATES THAT TRY TO IMPROVE HOW THEY ARE CREATING THEIR STATE-LEVEL CHILDHOOD INSTITUTIONS WHAT THEY CAN PUT INPUTS -- IN PLACE TO SUPPORT THE DECISION OF, MOST OFTEN, A MOTHER TO STAY HOME. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT THE ECONOMIC SUPPORTS NECESSARY TO BECAUSE HAPPEN. MOST FAMILIES IN THE UNITED STATES DEPEND UPON TWO INCOMES TO MAKE ENDS MEET.
HOST: DAVID IS A NEW JERSEY.
Caller: I WANT TO SAY THAT MR. FORD IS OUT OF TOUCH. THE REAL PROBLEM IS OUT OF WEDLOCK BIRTHS. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE FAMILY, THERE IS NO FAMILY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. THE FATHER IS OFTEN ABSENT. THAT MEANS THERE IS ONLY A SINGLE INCOME COMING IN. FOR YOU, I LOOK AT THE FEDERAL DEFICIT. EVERYONE COMES ON THIS PROGRAM TALKING ABOUT MORE FEDERAL SPENDING. THE CEOS JUST PUT OUT A REPORT SAYING WE WILL BE $19 TRILLION MORE IN DEBT IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS. THERE IS NO MONEY. I AS A PARENT OF 2 SONS WHY IS, IT MY NEIGHBOR'S RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE CHILDCARE FOR ME?
HOST: OK, WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME, BUT HE MENTIONED OUT OF WEDLOCK BIRTHS. WHAT ARE THE STATISTICS? AROUND THAT
Barry Ford (BF): I DON'T HAVE STATISTICS ON WHAT PORTION OF THIS POPULATION OF PARENTS WITH KIDS UNDER 3 ARE RESULTING OUT OF WEDLOCK BIRTHS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER IS. WHAT I WILL SAY THOUGH IS THERE ARE SINGLE PARENTS WHO HAVE CHILDREN UNDER 3, AND THEY NEED TO BE IN THE WORKFORCE. THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES. THAT IS SOMETHING I BELIEVE IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE OF THE COUNTRY, NOT JUST THEIR FUTURE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT DAVID SAID, THAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT. THE COST TO THE ECONOMY IS A COST BORN BY EVERYONE. IT IS NOT JUST OF THE FAMILY THAT CANNOT FIND CHILDCARE. IT IS EVERYONE. THE COST OF THE COUNTRY AS A COST EVERYONE FACES. THIS IS NOT ABOUT MOVING PUBLIC MONEY TO BENEFIT PEOPLE WHO ARE UNDESERVING. THIS IS ABOUT THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT DOING SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR ECONOMIC STRENGTH. THAT IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A STRONG AMERICA. WE SHOULD DO THIS WITH SELF-INTEREST IN MIND. WE SHOULD DO THIS BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO BE A STRONGER COUNTRY.
HOST: ONE MORE CALL, KATE IN ADRIAN, MICIHIGAN, WORKS IN CHILDCARE.
Caller: Good Morning I just want to ask real quick about Head Start. It seems to me that they have a model that you could use. It is a wonderful program, there used to be quality issues, but the quality seems to be pretty good now. It seems to me that parents should stay at home with their children who are from 0 to 3 years old, that is such a crucial time. That’s all, Thank You.
Barry Ford (BF): I think Head-Start’s great and we should do more to support its growth and its stability. And invest more in enhancing the experiences of young children and their families. But I want to come back to this. I think that the parents of infants and toddlers who want to stay home should be supported to do that. But for so many many families of very young children they need all parents to work and bring in income to make ends meet. And for those families we need to have a system in place that allows them to work free of concern and worry about the welfare of their children.
HOST: All right, Barry Ford CEO of Council for a Strong America, thank you for being here with us.
Barry Ford (BF): Thank you for having me.
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