U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) appeared on CBS Sunday Morning News with Tracy Smith and Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) to discuss federal efforts aimed at making child care more accessible and affordable. During the segment, Britt highlighted recent legislative updates she helped secure in the Working Families Tax Cut Act, which include modernized and expanded child care tax credits.
“Our economy loses $122 billion a year because of affordability or accessibility of child care,” said Britt. Smith noted that this makes child care not only a social issue but also an economic one. “Absolutely. Studies show that 59% of stay at home and or part time working parents say that they want to reenter the workforce. But this reliability, affordability, (and) accessibility issue is keeping them out of it,” Britt responded.
Smith pointed out that the new law updated childcare tax credits for the first time in 25 years, increased tax benefits for businesses, and raised limits for flexible spending accounts.
When asked about her message to parents facing high child care costs, Britt stated, “We’re fighting for you. And so we’re going to keep working and keep making sure that we deliver solutions.”
Britt has played a leading role in advancing child care policy through bipartisan legislation such as the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act. Key elements from this bill were included in a recent Senate reconciliation package, addressing updates to programs like the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC), the Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP), and the Employer-Provided Child Care Tax Credit (45F). The CDCTC and 45F had not seen permanent updates since 2001, while DCAP was last revised in 1986. Over this period, child care costs have risen by 263%.
In addition to these efforts, Britt has introduced other measures focused on supporting families, mothers, and children—including the More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed (MOMS) Act, the NIH IMPROVE Act, and the Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act.
