Childcare costs weigh on some voters before the midterm elections
Rising childcare prices are shaping votes as both candidates pitch new relief and 16% of district voters remained undecided, a poll found.
- In Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, rising childcare costs are shaping voter sentiment ahead of next month's midterm elections, with candidates integrating affordability into platforms to attract undecided voters like Escolastico.
- Childcare costs surged faster than inflation from 2020 to 2024, with the U.S. average for full-time care topping $13,000 in 2025. Waitlists for assistance exploded after pandemic-era federal aid expired three years ago.
- According to a June 2025 AP-NORC poll, 64% of U.S. adults view childcare as a "major problem," while the Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy has spent $60 million this year backing Democratic candidates across a dozen states.
- Democratic nominee Bob Brooks has campaigned on universal prekindergarten and increased Head Start funding, while Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie supports using tax breaks to lower costs for families in the 7th District.
- Parents are increasingly forced to sideline careers or forgo necessities due to untenable costs, as longtime preschool teacher Becky Fisher struggles with the system while deciding how to vote.
29 Articles
29 Articles
Childcare costs weigh on voters before midterm elections
Like so many Americans, Jenny Escolastico has watched wearily as the cost of living has risen, straining her household budget. But as a mother of two children under 5, she faces added pressure that could shape how she votes in November: childcare costs. Escolastico’s household outside Allentown, Pennsylvania, is relying solely on her husband’s income. She’s staying home with her children, at least in part because she simply can’t afford to work.…
It's not just gas and groceries. Childcare costs weigh on some Pa. voters before the midterm elections
Like so many Americans, Jenny Escolastico has watched wearily as the cost of living has risen, straining her household budget. But as a mother of two children...
It’s not just gas and groceries. Childcare costs weigh on some voters before the midterm elections – WTOP News
Like so many Americans, Jenny Escolastico has watched wearily as the cost of living has risen, straining her household budget. But as a mother of two children under 5, she faces added pressure that could shape how she votes in November: childcare costs. Escolastico’s household outside Allentown, Pennsylvania, is relying solely on her husband’s income....
The Toronto Star
It’s not just gas and groceries. Childcare costs weigh on some voters before the midterm elections
Like so many Americans, Jenny Escolastico has watched wearily as the cost of living has risen, straining her household budget. But as a mother of two children under 5, she
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