Supply-Side Childcare Investments: Policies to Develop an Equitable and Stable Childcare Industry
August 10, 2021
By Suzanne Kahn, Steph Sterling
For the last half-century, the United States has relied on the private market to provide childcare. Families and providers have struggled in the resulting chronically underfunded system. In particular, low-income Black and brown families have borne the brunt of the decision to treat childcare as a private matter.
- Giving communities control and decision-making authority over resources;
- Structuring public resources to prevent firms’ abilities to build extractive power; and
- Deploying resources in a transparent and visible manner to ensure democratic accountability.
As Congress considers making a massive and essential investment in childcare, it should structure investments to promote long-term stability, mitigate inequality, and prevent the concentration of power among firms.
Authors
Suzanne Kahn
Vice President, Think TankSuzanne Kahn is the vice president of the think tank at Roosevelt, where she oversees and helps manage research projects in all think tank program areas.