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RICHMOND, Va. — Following recent reports in the Virginian-Pilot and the 19th News about the sky-rocketing cost and growing inaccessibility of childcare in Virginia and across the country, Freedom Virginia calls on Governor Glenn Youngkin to address the growing childcare crisis by adopting the Senate budget which includes $80 million in contingent childcare subsidies.
Since 2018, the estimated cost of infant center-based care in Virginia has increased more than 11% according to The Virginian-Pilot. Day care centers in some areas across the Commonwealth now cost equal to or more annually than in-state college tuition.
Not only have costs gone up, the waitlist for day care centers can be years long, leaving families without options for safe, accessible childcare. This is leading parents to quit their jobs or even decide not to have more children. In areas where childcare prices are high, mothers are less likely to be employed outside the home.
Too many parents, particularly mothers, are being pushed out of the workforce by the lack of affordable, accessible childcare. Democrats and Republicans across the country agree that childcare is in crisis, yet Glenn Youngkin continues to ignore this ongoing issue. The 2023 Senate budget proposal includes 80 million contingent dollars to address the childcare crisis, while the Governor’s and House budget proposals include none.
Rhena Hicks, executive director of Freedom Virginia, has released the following statement:
“If Youngkin is such an advocate of parents’ rights, why is he ignoring these parents crying out for help? Unfortunately, Governor Youngkin is too busy courting the national GOP and manicuring his political prospects to take meaningful action to address this growing crisis. It is time for Youngkin to adopt the Senate budget and prioritize the children and families of Virginia.”
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