For Jenny Escolastico, a mother of two young children in the Lehigh Valley, the math of returning to work simply doesn't add up. With her husband's income covering the household, she stays home because full-time childcare would exceed her potential earnings. "Childcare is another rent, another car note," she says. Her family's predicament is echoed across the country, where the soaring cost of early childhood care has become a political flashpoint.
Escolastico, who backed Donald Trump in 2024, is now undecided about next month's vote. She lives in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, a competitive battleground that could determine the balance of power in the House. The race there highlights a broader trend: while gas and grocery prices dominate headlines, childcare is an equally pressing burden for millions of families, and both parties are scrambling to address it.
Both parties offer competing visions
In the 7th District, Democratic nominee Bob Brooks, a retired firefighter, is campaigning on expanding universal prekindergarten, boosting Head Start funding, and broadening eligibility for federal childcare assistance. He often cites his own experience helping care for his granddaughters. "The cost of caring for the people you love keeps climbing, and nobody in Washington seems to notice," he said in a statement.
Incumbent Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, a father of two children under 3, favors tax-based solutions. He co-sponsored a bill to expand the federal childcare tax credit, which was later folded into Trump's larger tax package. The measure also offers incentives for employers to provide childcare benefits. Mackenzie insists he will work across the aisle to support working families.
Trump himself has been inconsistent on the issue. During his campaign, he floated using tariff revenue to cut childcare costs, but recently dismissed federal involvement, saying, "We're fighting wars. We can't take care of daycare."
Pandemic exposed fragility, but aid has dried up
The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the precarious state of the childcare industry, prompting a $50 billion federal infusion. But that emergency funding expired in 2024, leaving many providers and families in the lurch. Waitlists for subsidies have surged, forcing some low-income parents to drop out of the workforce or sacrifice essentials.
President Biden's 2021 proposal to cap childcare costs at 7% of household income was narrowly defeated in Congress, and no similar plan has since passed. As a result, childcare prices have continued to outpace inflation, with the average full-time cost topping $13,000 annually, according to Child Care Aware of America.
Voters demand action
In Allentown, Lerin Hagenbuch, a registered Republican and mother of a kindergartner, is still weighing her options. She and her husband struggled to find affordable care so she could return to her job as a special education teacher. "If these moms or dads who are staying at home were able to even work part time, what a shift that would be," she said.
The issue is gaining traction beyond Pennsylvania. New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has promised free childcare for all residents. Democratic governors in New Jersey and Virginia campaigned on increased childcare funding, and a D.C. mayoral hopeful won her primary after proposing a 7% cap on childcare expenses.
With control of Congress at stake, the final GOP push to shore up majorities may hinge on whether voters believe their economic anxieties are being heard. As Trump's approval ratings slide, Democrats are hoping that issues like childcare will resonate with swing voters. But the path forward is far from clear, as the political climate remains volatile.
