Tameka Atkins

Nurturing Our Nation: The 2024 Elections and the Future of Family Care

Tamieka Atkins

Executive Director, ProGeorgia 

 

With each passing year and election, we have an opportunity to demand more from our elected officials when it comes to prioritizing policies that allow for a basic human need, which is to care for our families without the threat of lost wages.  As we rapidly approach the 2024 elections, there are few issues on the ballot more pressing than the crucial matter of family caregiving. From childcare to elder care and paid family leave, our choices at the polls this year will shape the landscape of care and caregiving policies across our nation. 

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No matter your race, class, or gender, we will all age. It is inevitable. Each passing year presents an opportunity for us to honor our elders with the dignity of care, and to lay the groundwork for our own transitions into elderhood. And children - the next generation, are what the future of our country is built upon. 

What happens when families have to make impossible decisions that leave our most vulnerable even more at risk? And what message are we sending to these generations about their value in our society when we leave them without adequate care? 

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The lack of comprehensive, nationwide family caregiving policies continues to have far-reaching economic implications, particularly for low-income people and women of color.  A recent report by the National Partnership for Women and Families found that 106 million people, about 73 percent, lack access to paid family leave through their employers (National Partnership for Women & Families, 2024). That means an overwhelming majority of people in the United States may have to regularly make the choice between caring for a family member or getting paid for their hard work. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the absence of paid family leave contributes to increased turnover rates and decreased productivity. Additionally, the burden of caregiving responsibilities often falls disproportionately on women, furthering the gender pay gap and limiting their career advancement opportunities.

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It cannot be overstated how critical this gap in policy is for women of color, low-income households, and single parents. For Black women in particular, the data is shocking. The Center for American Progress reported in 2022 that “more than 6 in 10 leaves needed by Black women are not taken or taken without pay” (Williamson, 2024). 

Far too often in this country, our policymakers have treated child rearing and childcare as merely a personal responsibility rather than a collective investment in the future. The foundation of a thriving society lies in the well-being and development of its youngest members.

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In states across the country, the struggle for affordable and accessible childcare has been an ongoing battle that forces parents to make the impossible choice between having enough money to survive and having safe childcare. According to the Department of Labor, in the United States, “childcare prices range from $4,810 ($5,357 in 2022 dollars) for school-age home-based care in small counties to $15,417 ($17,171 in 2022 dollars) for infant center-based care in very large counties” (Grundy, 2024). Under the 2021 American Rescue Plan, there were critical provisions for childcare funding, which helped provide a much-needed band-aid for childcare workers and parents. Unfortunately, when that funding ended last year, it once again left an even wider need gap that will impact as many as 10 million children (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2023). 

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Nationally, organizations such as the National Women's Law Center champion policies that advocate for increased federal funding for childcare assistance programs (National Women’s Law Center, 2024). We must understand that supporting families and building a more robust economy means investing in high-quality early childhood education and affordable daycare services. That requires supporting the candidates and organizations working tirelessly to bridge the childcare gap, ensuring that every child, regardless of their socioeconomic background, has access to quality early childhood education.

Investing in family caregiving policies is not just a moral imperative but an economic necessity. Leaders must recognize that by enacting policies that support families in times of need, we can create a more resilient and prosperous society. Importantly, we must also push them to do so. The 2024 elections provide an opportunity for voters to choose leaders who understand the moral and economic benefits of investing in family caregiving and are willing to champion these policies on a national and state level.

 

References

Grundy, A. (2024, January 9). Rising Cost Of Child Care Services a Challenge For Working Parents. United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2024/01/rising-child-care-cost.html  

National Partnership for Women & Families. (2024, February 15). Paid Leave Means a Stronger Nation. National Partnership for Women & Families. https://nationalpartnership.org/report/paid-leave-means-map/  

National Women’s Law Center. (2024, June 17). State-By-State Map on Local Impact of Child Care Funding Cliff. https://nwlc.org/resource/cc-map/  

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Williamson, M. W. (2024, March 21). Guaranteeing Comprehensive, Inclusive Paid Family and Medical Leave and Sick Time. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/playbook-for-the-advancement-of-women-in-the-economy/guaranteeing-comprehensive-inclusive-paid-family-and-medical-leave-and-sick-time/#:~:text=Among%20Black%20women%2C%20more%20than,or%20not%20taken%20at%20all.&text=Nationwide%2C%20Black%20women%20lose%20an,each%20year%20while%20on%20leave.  

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U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2023, March 25). Covid investments in child care: Supporting children, families, and providers. The Administration for Children and Families. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ/infographic/covid-investments-child-care-supporting-children-families-and-providers