4 Super Important Election Issues for New Moms and Moms-to-Be
Bringing new life into the world can be a joyous occasion and a cause for all kinds of celebration. Having a child also brings with it enormous responsibility for another person’s life (obviously — that’s kind of the point), and that means a huge investment of time and money. Depending on the country, the government shoulders differing degrees of that burden alongside parents. With presidential candidates running the gamut from the far right to the far left, there is a fairly wide swath of proposals on the table for how the federal government should be involved in helping new parents.
Child Care
This was a huge issue in the recent Canadian election, but it hasn’t gotten quite as much airtime here. Sweden offers universally accessible, income-adjusted daycare for children before they enter school, and many other countries have similar policies. As of 2014 the Child Care and Development Fund makes money available to states, but there have been notable hiccups like Mississippi refusing money for poor families altogether. (Photo via Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images)
What do the candidates think?
Hillary Clinton: Universal preschool for four-year-olds within the next 10 years.
Ted Cruz: Nothing.
John Kasich: Nothing.
Bernie Sanders: Make childcare and preschool available to all families. (Specifics not outlined.)
Donald Trump: Nothing.
Parental Leave
American parental leave policies lag far behind the developed world. The US is the only country in the industrialized world, and one of just four total, that doesn’t offer paid maternity leave from the federal government. Only 12 percent of private-sector workers have access to paid leave, and major cities like New York and D.C. are implementing paid leave for city workers this year. As so often happens, the lowest-paid, least job-secure workers are the least likely to benefit. (Photo via George Marks/Getty Images)
What do the candidates think?
Hillary Clinton: Guarantee at least 12 weeks of paid family leave (available to either parent).
Ted Cruz: “I think maternity leave and paternity leave are wonderful things. I support them personally, but I don’t think federal government should be in the business of mandating them.”
John Kasich: Paid leave is an impediment to gender wage equality. (Nothing in his platform.)
Bernie Sanders: At least 12 weeks of paid family leave.
Donald Trump: “It’s certainly something that’s being discussed.” Nothing in his platform.
Affordable Housing
If you spend more than 30 percent of your income on housing, you are considered “cost burdened.” Yet 12 million households in America use more than 50 percent of their annual income on having a place to live. Money being a finite resource for individuals, the more one spends on one item, the less one has for everything else. That means an astounding number of families and people in the US have less than half their income left for everything from food to health insurance to retirement or college savings. While it’s not always framed this way, affordable housing is absolutely an issue for families and new parents. (Photo via John Moore/Getty Images)
What do the candidates think?
Hillary Clinton: Put $25 billion toward building more affordable housing.
Ted Cruz: Abolish the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which oversees affordable housing.
John Kasich: Platform links to a story about freeing up funding for housing as Ohio governor; Cleveland.com reports that advocates aren’t completely happy with him characterizing that budget as a success. (Nothing about what he would actually do as president.)
Bernie Sanders: Mentions affordable housing for people with HIV/AIDS. (Nothing about larger plans for affordable housing.)
Donald Trump: Donald is not particularly pro-affordable housing. In fact, he gave up on the affordable-housing developments his father created.
Public Education
By grade eight, just under one third of public-school students are deemed “proficient” or better in math, and barely more than one third are “proficient” or above in reading. This despite the fact that as of 2010, the US spent more than any other G-20 nation on primary and secondary education. Underpaid, overworked teachers and crumbling schools make the news constantly. If your child is in public school, or will be, the next president’s plans to address education will be extremely important. (Photo via Chris Hondros/Getty Images)
What do the candidates think?
Hillary Clinton: Make quality education available across the country. (No specifics.)
Ted Cruz: Nothing.
John Kasich: Remove federal learning standards.
Bernie Sanders: Reform “No Child Left Behind” and ensure resource equity for schools. (Nothing in platform.)
Donald Trump: End common core, which is “a disaster.”
What do you think is most important for your family, and how should the next president address it? Tweet us your thoughts @BritandCo!