Both parties need to commit to better policies for child care

Siskind is a senior research scientist at Start Early and a public voices fellow with The OpEd Project in partnership with the National Black Child Development Institute.

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris' experience with and passion about early child care and education offers an opportunity for Democrats and Republicans alike to pay more attention to this critically important subject.

I’m a researcher at a leading nonprofit organization that promotes early care and education through direct service programming, policy and research. I’m aware at a granular level how much early care and education is overlooked in campaigns and administration agendas, both past and present.

While Republicans and Democrats agree that child care is lacking in America they remain divided on many specifics of how best to address it. So it is time we solve this problem.

Access to high-quality early care and education is often essential for working families and critical for all young children’s early and lifelong development, especially among those living in marginalized communities. Despite its public benefit, in the United States such care is not treated as a public good. The field is deeply fragmented and siloed from the K-12 system,with states largely differing on how or even if they support young children and families. No matter the effort that states put in, though, it has not been and is not enough.

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Vice President Harris is well-known for her deep commitment to prioritizing young children, their families and teachers through early care and education. Therefore, it is likely that Harris will place a higher priority on this critical issue than former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden had done in their campaigns.

Already, at her first presidential campaign rally this election cycle, Harris outlined how she would tackle issues related to subsidized child care, making it more affordable for working families, and paid family leave — issues that all candidates for Congress and president should address.

While she was attorney general of California, Harris spearheaded the Bureau of Children’s Justice to safeguard children’s equal opportunity to a high-quality education. Then, as senator, Harris proposed a comprehensive “Children’s Agenda” where she strongly advocated for a national paid family leave of six-months for working families; an expansion of early childhood home visiting programs; improved access to affordable, high-quality preschool; and larger federal investments in Head Start programs. Harris’s priorities only strengthened in her role as vice president when she strategically met with business leaders — who rely on a robust workforce — to deepen their support for child care and took action toward cutting child care costs for families; improving child care governance; dismantling institutional barriers preventing families’ access to child care assistance; proposing higher pay for Head Start teachers; and improving financial stability for the early care and education workforce.

There is no doubt as to the complexity of this issue. Yet one thing is certain. Young children have the right to a high-quality education and systems that empower their families to provide for and protect them.

Whether you are a Democrat, Republican or independent, please urge candidates for Congress or the White House to stop the bickering and pass meaningful child care and education legislation. We must all fight for our children. They are the future of America.