Who Should Pay for Child Care? Most Americans Think Government Should Pay For Some or All

FIGURE 4

Who Should Pay for Child Care? Most Americans Think Government Should Pay For Some or All

Percent who said each should pay the costs of licensed child care in the United States

Bar chart showing percent of respondents who selected each option for who should pay for child care, where just 19% say families/individuals alone should be responsible for the costs.

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Full question included “such as at a child care center” as an example of licensed child care. Response options with a government component specified funding would be sourced through taxpayer contributions, including from households and businesses.

Source: Survey of a nationally representative sample of 1,000 U.S. adults; conducted by YouGov for New America's Better Life Lab, March 19–March 27, 2026.

New America