Heather Mace, opinion contributor Published 6:00 a.m. MT March 6, 2020
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A bill making its way through the state House of Representatives could bring low-income Arizona parents one step closer to receiving child care assistance while they pursue employment or educational opportunities.
House Bill 2104 would also supplement child care costs for families “transitioning off cash assistance … in order to accept or maintain employment.”
This is wonderful news for parents who want to pursue academic or employment opportunities after the birth of a child but are thwarted by the high cost of child care.
More than half my salary went to child care
Just how expensive is child care in Arizona?
According to data from the Economic Policy Institute, the average annual cost of infant care in Arizona is $10,948 — that’s $912 per month. This means that infant care for one child can take up 19.8% of a median Arizona family’s income.
These numbers hit close to home for my own family in 2012, when I was teaching high school and my husband was pursuing his own education degree. The cost of child care for our two young children was $1,400 per month — more than half my monthly salary.
My husband received a child care subsidy through his university, but just a few months shy of graduation, the university halted our child care subsidy because of budget cuts. We scrambled to make our modest savings cover this unexpected cost, and fortunately my husband was able to graduate on time.
A bill such as HB 2104 would have given us a critical safety net during this small window when our fixed income wasn’t enough to cover child care costs.
Investment can lift poor, single moms
While these expenses are a struggle for families like mine, for low-income and single mothers these high costs can be even more daunting.
According to the most recent census data, a full 50% of people in female-headed households participate in government assistance programs. For these women, inability to afford child care may force them to quit their job to care for a new baby, thus eliminating their sole source of income.
HB 2104 would provide moms with child care support during this critical period, allowing them to gain training and education toward a career that pays a self-sustaining wage.
This investment in women garners positive results not only for families, but also for the economy. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research states that with each additional level of education, single mothers experience a roughly 32% average decline in their likelihood of living in poverty.
The Brookings Institute reports that over a lifetime, the typical bachelor’s degree holder earned about $600,000 more than the average high school diploma holder and $300,000 more than an associate’s degree holder.
When a mother increases her level of education — and thus her income — she is less likely to rely on entitlement programs, and better equipped to provide for her family.
Recipients would pay theishare, too
As with any government assistance program, some critics will interpret this bill as private citizens using taxpayer dollars to fund their personal expenses. However, families who benefit from HB 2104 are required to pay a copay for each child receiving benefits.
There are also limits on the number of children in a family who are eligible, and the length of time families can receive the credit (with upper limits ranging from 24 to 60 months).
In addition, parts of the bill specifically apply to parents already receiving entitlement funds. When these families transition to the temporary child care subsidy, they not only cease participation in the cash assistance program, but also gain marketable skills, experience and income through their participation in the labor force.
With the passage of this bill, we have the opportunity to support parents and guardians who want to pursue education and employment opportunities while their children are young. They want to build a solid foundation for their family, and the supports offered in this bill will help them lay that groundwork.
Please reach out to your state representatives and ask them to support this commonsense, bipartisan bill.
Heather Mace is a teacher mentor in southern Arizona and a Public Voices Fellow with The OpEd Project. Reach her at heathermariemace@gmail.com.
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