A recent survey by the First Five Years Fund found that more than 31,000 children and families in Nebraska rely on the childcare sector daily. However, the state faces a shortage of childcare providers, with the average family spending $18,000 per year, or around $1,500 per month, on childcare.

Proposed Solutions

The Voice of The People surveyed 800 adults across Nebraska on four proposed government assistance programs designed to make raising children less expensive. The proposals include the Free Universal Preschool, Childcare Subsidies, Bigger Child Tax Credit, and Paid Family and Medical Leave.

The survey found that 78% of Democrats and 66% of Republicans support the Free Universal Preschool proposal, which would provide a $25 billion grant to states or cities to create or expand free preschool programs. Additionally, 83% of Democrats and 67% of Republicans support the Childcare Subsidies proposal, which would provide funds to states to help parents cover some of the cost of childcare.

The Bigger Child Tax Credit proposal, which would increase the child tax credit to $3,600 per child and make it fully refundable, was supported by 83% of Democrats and 77% of Republicans. The Paid Family and Medical Leave proposal, which would allow employees to take up to 12 weeks of leave to care for a sick family member or themselves, was supported by 72% of Democrats and 57% of Republicans.

Original reporting: KLKN-TV – News, Weather and Sports for Lincoln, Nebraska — read the source article.