The enormous ambition of Hillary Clinton’s child-care plan

Hillary Clinton this week unveiled her vision for more quality child care in the United States, a lofty plan that includes raising pay for the industry’s workers. But the boldest idea targets parents, who now face day-care costs that rival college tuition. Clinton wants to cap that expense at 10 percent of a household’s income.

Considering that some people spend more on child care than rent, such a price shift would significantly ease the financial strain for families nationwide. Getting there, however, could be an extraordinary challenge.

Average child-care costs in the United States devour at least 30 percent of a minimum-wage worker’s earnings in every state, according to a report last yearfrom the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington think tank.

To pay for a year of full-time infant care in Hawaii, for example, where the median minimum wage in 2015 was $7.75, a full-time worker would have to fork over every paycheck from January to September. Those at the bottom of the wage scale in New York and Massachusetts would have to spend about 80 percent of their annual earnings. For the full article click here 

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