Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, FEDERAL LEGISLATION—Reps. Scott and Murray reintroduce Child Care for Working Families Act, (Jul 16, 2025)

By Patricia K. Ruiz, J.D.

The legislation would improve the quality and supply of child care for all children and expand families’ child care options.

U.S. Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) reintroduced the Child Care for Working Families Act, under which no eligible family would pay more than seven percent of their income on child care. Under the legislation, the typical family in the U.S. would pay no more than $15 a day for child care, with many families paying nothing at all. Scott and Murray have introduced the Act every Congress since 2017.

Cost of child care. According to the legislation’s fact sheet, the cost of child care continues to rise, with an average annual cost of $13,128—a 29 percent increase since 2020. In 49 states and the District of Columbia, the average annual cost of child care for two children exceeds the median rent, and in 41 states and the District of Columbia, the cost of care for one infant exceeds in-state university tuition. The high cost of child care costs the U.S. economy more than $100 billion every year.

Improved affordability, access. Under the Child Care for Working Families Act, the typical family earning the state median income would pay about $15 a day for child care, and no working family will pay more than seven percent of their income on child care. Families earning below 85 percent of state median income would pay nothing for child care. The legislation would improve the quality and supply of child care for all children and expand families’ child care options by providing grants to open new providers in child care deserts, increasing child care options for children who receive care during non-traditional hours, and supporting child care for children who are dual-language learners, experiencing homelessness, or are in foster care. The legislation would also dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K and better support Head Start programs.

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