INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE 21ST CENTURY--CHILD CARE by Melissa Ross

The Biden administration has unveiled a new $2.2 Trillion infrastructure plan that would be used to upgrade existing bridges, tunnels, and highways. With infrastructure crumbling all over the country, it is something that is greatly needed. One would think that funding this would be a no brainer, but in 2021 the definition of “infrastructure” is more complicated and broader than it has ever been before. It includes expanding broadband internet to more rural communities and funneling $25 billion to build new and upgrade existing child care facilities and public schools with the creation of a new Child Care Growth and Innovation Fund. 

          While there are some concerns that have been raised by child care advocates that the plan does not include provisions for bolstering the wages and benefits of childcare workers, the proposal would expand child care facilities in underserved areas and provide money to upgrade and modernize our public schools. It would also give a tax credit to employers who construct child care facilities in their workplaces. 

Getting Americans back to work is a major priority for both parties and infrastructure is a huge part of that. Americans can’t get back to work if they cannot get there safely. By the same token, if Americans don't have affordable, convenient, and safe places to send their kids while they work, they still can’t return. The pandemic brought these issues to light in a way many had not seen before. Safe, secure, and modern child care facilities and schools create not only the ability for more people to enter the workforce now, it allows for the cultivation of a more well-rounded and diverse workforce in the future.

Women, poor people, and people of color in the workforce were amongst those who were most negatively affected by the pandemic. Infrastructure is no longer as simple as bridges, tunnels, highways, and pipes for safe and clean water. Infrastructure is everything that goes into keeping our country running, people safe, and our job market thriving. If we are going to progress and move forward as a society, we must open our minds to new ideas and new ways of doing that. Just as the internet was formerly considered a luxury and not a commodity, so is childcare. Child care is no longer a luxury. It is an essential function of getting people working and keeping our country thriving. 

Melissa Ross