Americans overwhelmingly view the cost of child care as a significant issue, and most support initiatives to offer free or low-cost day care and to require employers to provide paid family leave for parents of babies, according to a new poll.
But they're divided over how to solve the problem and what role the government should have in that solution.
About three-quarters of U.S. adults see child care costs as a ''major problem,'' but only about half say helping working families pay for child care should be a ''high priority'' for the federal government, according to the June poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
The latest congressional package of tax cuts included tax credits and benefits for parents and businesses that assist employees with child care. Those changes have been praised by some, while others say millions of families at lower income levels wouldn't get the full credit and would be affected by cuts in Medicaid and food stamps.
The poll findings help explain the difficulty advocacy groups, elected officials and families navigate in trying to address the high costs of care: While most agree it's a problem, there isn't a simple fix. For instance, while government-funded child care is popular, that might not be everyone's first choice. Many U.S. adults also think it's better for children with two parents to be cared for full time by a parent.
''Everyone kind of agrees that it's a problem that we need to address,'' said Sarah Rittling, executive director of the First Five Years Fund advocacy organization. ''By having this issue out there, it really is driving a lot of bipartisan conversations.''
Some consensus on free day care and paid family leave
Most Americans support initiatives to offer child care or additional time for working families to spend with babies. About two-thirds support providing free or low-cost day care for children too young to attend public school, and a similar share favor requiring employers to provide paid family leave for new parents.