Mapped: Cost of child care around the country
The cost of child care in the U.S. just keeps climbing — a new report finds that prices rose 29% from 2020 to 2024, outpacing overall inflation.
Why it matters: Rising child care costs put a huge financial strain on families, forcing some parents — typically women — to either ratchet back their working hours or leave the labor force entirely.
For single parents, the calculus can be even more painful.
It's also a drag on economic growth overall.
By the numbers: The average annual cost of daycare tuition nationwide for two children — one toddler and one infant — rose to $28,168 last year, according to data from Child Care Aware, an advocacy group.
That's about 35% of median household annual income in the U.S., based on Census data released in 2024.
Zoom in: The percentages are no less brutal in states with higher incomes.
The cost of care for two children in Massachusetts is $47,012 — 44% of the median household income in that state.
Zoom out: The U.S. doesn't have publicly funded universal childcare.
There were worries that the White House would stop funding Head Start, but the administration has said that won't happen.
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Politico
19 hours ago
- Politico
When DOGE comes for the Census
TOP LINE The Department of Government Efficiency is pledging to go 'one-by-one' through the Census Bureau's 102 surveys, and groups that rely on the government data are fearful of what's to come. DOGE said it has already cut five of the 102 surveys, but there are more potential cuts on the horizon. DOGE did not specify which of the surveys it was eliminating, highlighting instead that it saved $16.5 million and listing some of the questions on the surveys that were eliminated. The bureau conducts these surveys in addition to its decennial survey of the entire nation, and they can provide other governmental agencies with crucial data that is used in developing policies and laws. Cutting the surveys means other agencies — and the public — no longer have access to the data they provide. 'There are laws governing the conduct of federal surveys, and this idea that an email from DOGE is going to impact federal data collection, superseding existing federal law, is what concerns me,' said Mary Jo H. Mitchell, co-director of the Census Project, adding that DOGE could be violating existing laws by making any cuts at all. Advocates are also calling for President Donald Trump to fully fund the bureau's 2026 test, which plays a pivotal role in determining the techniques for the full 2030 Census by surveying residents of a select few areas. The robust survey each decade determines the number of congressional seats each state gets, as well as how trillions of dollars in federal funding are distributed across the country. 'As we learned in the run up to the 2020 Census, short-changing funding for testing at this point in the planning process introduces greater risk to a successful outcome,' says a letter from the Census Project, which is a coalition of groups that advocates for an accurate Census. The Census Bureau did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. Without knowing which surveys specifically were cut, it's impossible to know the consequences of getting rid of them. But overall, surveys done by the Census Bureau for other agencies, Mitchell said, are 'really important, unique sources of data.' The hits from DOGE are not the only problems for the Census Bureau ahead of 2030. For one, the bureau's director resigned in January, and Trump will be able to appoint his successor, who will play a massive role in the 2030 survey. About 1,300 Census Bureau employees have left in recent months, according to the Associated Press, and there's an ongoing hiring freeze. The Commerce Department eliminated the bureau's advisory committees, and an Inspector General report from March sounded the alarm on the bureau's struggle to retain field representatives who collect the crucial data. 'If the bureau does not recruit and retain enough quality employees for FR positions, it will not have sufficient and capable staff to complete interviews and collect social and economic data the federal government, businesses, and other groups need,' the report said. Happy Monday, thanks for starting your week with Score. Reach me: @andrewjfhoward or ahoward@ Days until the New Jersey primary: 8 Days until the Virginia primary: 15 Days until the New York City primary: 22 Days until the 2025 election: 155 Days until the midterms: 519 Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. ICYMI: The Conversation kicked off with Dr. Oz In the premiere episode of The Conversation, Dasha Burns sat down with Dr. Mehmet Oz — now leading the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — for a candid talk on drug prices, potential Medicaid cuts and why he's getting early morning calls from President Donald Trump. Plus, POLITICO's Jonathan Martin dished on the Ohio governor's race (featuring Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel), and Kyle Cheney unpacked Trump's legal battle over 'Liberation Day' tariffs. Watch the full episode on YouTube. And don't miss a moment — subscribe now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to get new episodes when they drop. CAMPAIGN INTEL 2028 WATCH — Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore was in South Carolina over the weekend, telling Democrats at the Blue Palmetto Dinner 'We must be the party of action.' While he's continuing to play off any notion he's interested in a 2028 run, 'Moore's premium speaking slot before the state's well-connected party leaders does little to tamp down speculation he's kicking the tires on an upcoming presidential bid,' POLITICO's Brakkton Booker reported from Columbia. … In Anaheim, California, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz told the state's Democratic Party that 'We've got to find some goddamn guts to fight for working people.' Walz — who was in South Carolina before making the trek to the west coast — was also joined by New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. Read more on the California Democratic Party's convention from POLITICO's Blake Jones. … Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro told The Dispatch he used to 'shrug off' chatter that he'd run for president in 2028. Now, his reaction is different, he told David M. Drucker. 'The fact that people think I have something to offer in that conversation—that is very humbling to me. I don't laugh when they say it. I don't shrug and blow it off and move on,' Shapiro said. … 'Dems rev up 2028 travel,' POLITICO's Adam Wren writes in Saturday's Playbook, recapping the festivities. PRIMARY CALENDAR — 'South Carolina's first-in-the-nation primary status looks fraught as Dems sour on Biden,' Brakkton reported Saturday. THE MIDTERMS — 'Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) is deploying his expansive political network to elevate left-leaning candidates and ideas in the midterm elections, accusing Democrats including Kamala Harris of falling short with working-class voters and raising fresh tensions in a party divided over how to rebuild,' the Washington Post's Maeve Reston reports. TEXAS SENATE — Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) would 'eagerly' debate primary challenger Ken Paxton, he told ABC 8's Michael McCardel. GOOD QUESTION — 'Is David Hogg Democrats' Nightmare, or Savior?' by the Wall Street Journal's Aaron Zitner and Eliza Collins. 'The only good politician is one that is scared of potentially losing their job,' Hogg said in an interview, discussing his plan to back primary challengers. LEGAL CORNER — 'Alabama may pause redistricting efforts until 2030 to avoid federal oversight,' Alander Rocha reports for the Alabama Reporter. CODA — QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'Well, we all are going to die,' said Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), responding to an audience member who was concerned about Medicaid cuts.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
John Kennedy, Georgia's top Senate Republican, joins race for lieutenant governor
ATLANTA (AP) — John Kennedy, the top-ranking Republican in Georgia's state Senate, on Monday joined a growing field of GOP candidates seeking to become the state's next lieutenant governor in 2026. Kennedy, a Macon lawyer, is banking on the support of Georgia's business community after helping pass a law this year limiting lawsuits and civil verdicts. Burt Jones, the current Republican lieutenant governor, is expected to run for governor next year instead of seeking reelection. He's could announce his candidacy later this summer. Kennedy was first elected to the state Senate in 2014. Majority Republicans elected him president pro tem, the No. 2 position in the Senate, in 2023. Before that, Kennedy had been chair of the majority caucus and led the redrawing of legislative and congressional districts after the 2020 Census, securing Republican majorities. Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch of Dahlonega announced last month that he is running for lieutenant governor, saying he would model his candidacy on President Donald Trump. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Blake Tillery of Vidalia is raising money for a possible bid. Other Republicans could seek the office as well, including state Sen. Greg Dolezal, of Cumming. Kennedy didn't mention Trump in his announcement, saying his top priorities as lieutenant governor would be a strong economy, education and public safety. 'Georgians can be confident that my leadership will be focused on delivering conservative results, not empty rhetoric,' Kennedy said in a statement. 'And I know that by working together, we will keep Georgia growing, keep Georgia learning and keep Georgia safe.' This year, Kennedy sponsored a law that is meant to curb the number of student absences in schools. Like the onetime president, Kennedy's initials are JFK. But this 59-year-old Kennedy, born less than two years after the president was assassinated, is unrelated and bears the middle name of Flanders. Georgia's lieutenant governor presides over Senate sessions, but senators decide how much power the official has. When senators agree, lieutenant governors can be influential. As president pro tem, Kennedy already works with Jones to set the agenda for the Senate. On the Democratic side, the only declared candidate is state Sen. Josh McLaurin of Sandy Springs.
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Miami Herald
Trump cuts hit flood control and food aid in Miami-Dade. Will Medicaid be next?
Cuts to federal spending yanked $10 million for flood-prevention projects in Miami, slashed USDA produce deliveries to a leading food bank and killed $17 million in grant money that Miami-Dade County hoped to secure for expanding Internet access to low-income households. But those cutbacks aren't what have county administrators worried. It's the even deeper cuts proposed by the Trump administration that they say would bring severe consequences to healthcare, housing and social services throughout Miami-Dade. The county's Democratic mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, laid out potential impacts in a recent memo to county commissioners. With more than $700 billion in Medicaid spending reductions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Republican-backed spending and policy bill that narrowly passed the U.S. House on May 22, Levine Cava's memo warns of local pain if Washington cuts back on the stream of federal healthcare dollars to the Miami area. 'Last year, in Miami-Dade, Medicaid provided services to 40,300 children (30% of the County's children) and 120,700 seniors and people with disabilities,' Levine Cava wrote in the May 19 memo. 'Any reduction in Medicaid funding would significantly impact access to care and economic security.' U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, a Republican and Levine Cava's predecessor as county mayor, defended the proposed Medicaid changes that he voted for in the House, including work requirements for some recipients and stricter eligibility scrutiny to prevent 'double-dipping' by Medicaid recipients wrongly enrolled in more than one state program. 'The benefits to eligible residents have not been reduced,' he said. Federal funding accounts for about 6% of the county's $12.7 billion budget — amounting to more than $750 million annually from Washington. Among the funding concerns cited in the memo: A $65 million shortfall in funding for the federal Section 8 rental voucher program that Miami-Dade administers using dollars from Washington. The memo said more than 5,400 households could lose their housing assistance without more federal money in 2025. The potential loss of Head Start childcare dollars through a planned restructuring at the federal Department of Health and Human Services. Miami-Dade runs Head Start childcare centers funded by roughly $90 million a year from Washington. The latest grant expires Oct. 1, and Levine Cava said there's no option yet to apply for a renewal in the federal grant-making system. Cutbacks in federally funded food shipments that make their way to soup kitchens, church pantries and food banks throughout Miami-Dade. Farm Share, a main supplier of free food in the county, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently cut in half the number of semi-trucks packed with cans, produce, and dry goods like rice and beans that find their way to local charities and nonprofits. Farm Share's federal shipments hit about 15 million pounds between February and May last year, compared to 7 million pounds this year, said Stephen Shelley, president of the Homestead-based charity. 'It's concerning,' he said. Even so, Shelley said he's optimistic the cutbacks will be temporary as the second Trump administration retools the program and manages fallout from the shortages. 'This is a cycle that is not uncommon. We're watching, and we're hopeful.' While the memo focuses mostly on potential funding impacts, some examples represent federal money that's already lost. That includes a $16.5 million grant from the Department of Commerce that the county hoped to receive to expand Internet access countywide. One of the biggest hits to Miami-Dade's existing federal funding is a grant designed to help the county lessen current-day flooding, as well as help prepare for sea-level rise. Two of the floodiest spots in Miami-Dade County — the mouth of Little River and the Biscayne Canal — were set to receive multimillion-dollar makeovers designed to protect neighborhoods against high waters and heavy rains. But last month, the Trump administration ended FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructures and Communities (BRIC) grant program, which launched during Trump's first term. READ MORE: Millions in South Florida flood-control projects on hold after Trump FEMA cuts Planning for the flood protection projects is on schedule to finish up this month. But there's no longer federal money to raise the height of canal walls and purchase bigger pumps to keep rainwater flowing to Biscayne Bay instead of into nearby streets. 'The cancellation of the BRIC program poses a major setback to Miami-Dade County's ability to implement long-term resilience strategies,' Levine Cava wrote. She said the two canceled grants were worth $9.2 million, with another $23 million in pending grant applications also taken off the table. Even so, she said Miami-Dade will be pursuing other federal dollars for the projects — even if they have more strings attached. Levine Cava is already warning of a nearly $400 million shortfall for the county's 2026 budget from increased local spending and slowing growth in property-tax revenues. That can make it harder to snag federal grants because county 'departments continue to face challenges identifying required match funding.'
