Mothers' Views on the Bipartisan Childcare Package
August 30, 2024
Rapid Poll

In August 2024, Count on Mothers examined mothers' views on two bipartisan, bicameral childcare bills introduced by Senators Katie Britt (R-AL) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) — the Childcare Availability and Affordability Act and the Childcare Workforce Act. Drawing on a nationally representative sample of mothers across regions and the political spectrum, the survey evaluated proposed increases to the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, expanded Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), and employer tax credits — alongside firsthand experience using these benefits and assessments of which policy mechanisms would most effectively support families.

Related themes:

Shared Priorities and Cross-Partisan Alignment Among Mothers

  • Strong support for expanding childcare tax credits:
    About 8 in 10 mothers believe increasing the childcare tax credit and allowable FSA contributions would positively impact their families, and at least 7 in 10 support increasing employer tax credits to improve access to reliable childcare.
  • The childcare tax credit is widely used and impactful:
    Nearly 3 in 4 mothers report claiming the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, with relatively consistent use across political affiliations. Usage is slightly higher among mothers with college degrees.
  • FSAs are underutilized and unevenly accessed:
    Only 1 in 3 mothers report ever using a childcare FSA, with lower usage among mothers with more children and those without college degrees.
  • Confusion limits FSA participation:
    A significant share of mothers who do not use FSAs cite confusion or lack of awareness, suggesting information gaps rather than lack of need.
  • Paid family leave is the top policy priority overall:
    When asked to rank policy options, mothers most frequently selected paid family leave as the most impactful solution, though support for universal pre-K was especially high among very liberal and very conservative mothers.
  • Childcare costs shape family planning decisions:
    In open-ended responses, many mothers reported that the high cost and instability of childcare are preventing them from having additional children.

Source: Count on Mothers, Mothers' Views on the Bipartisan Childcare Package, August 2024. Nationally representative survey of U.S. mothers, n=800, weighted across political ideology and region (sample compared to Gallup 2021 and U.S. Census 2020 distributions). Findings shared with the offices of Senators Katie Britt (R-AL) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) on the Childcare Availability and Affordability Act and the Childcare Workforce Act. Research led by a PhD-credentialed researcher and an MPH data scientist.

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Methodology
Count on Mothers conducts nationally representative research with U.S. mothers, weighted to reflect the population and reported in aggregate. Research is led by a PhD + MPH team. Findings have informed policy, industry, and media, and entered the Congressional Record on childcare, paid leave, and technology policy.
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