Latest news with #APNORC
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Most US adults say child care costs are a 'major problem,' a new AP-NORC poll finds
Americans overwhelmingly view the cost of child care as a significant issue, and most support initiatives to offer free or low-cost day care and to require employers to provide paid family leave for parents of babies, according to a new poll. But they're divided over how to solve the problem and what role the government should have in that solution. About three-quarters of U.S. adults see child care costs as a 'major problem,' but only about half say helping working families pay for child care should be a 'high priority' for the federal government, according to the June poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The latest congressional package of tax cuts included tax credits and benefits for parents and businesses that assist employees with child care. Those changes have been praised by some, while others say millions of families at lower income levels wouldn't get the full credit and would be affected by cuts in Medicaid and food stamps. The poll findings help explain the difficulty advocacy groups, elected officials and families navigate in trying to address the high costs of care: While most agree it's a problem, there isn't a simple fix. For instance, while government-funded child care is popular, that might not be everyone's first choice. Many U.S. adults also think it's better for children with two parents to be cared for full time by a parent. 'Everyone kind of agrees that it's a problem that we need to address,' said Sarah Rittling, executive director of the First Five Years Fund advocacy organization. 'By having this issue out there, it really is driving a lot of bipartisan conversations.' Some consensus on free day care and paid family leave Most Americans support initiatives to offer child care or additional time for working families to spend with babies. About two-thirds support providing free or low-cost day care for children too young to attend public school, and a similar share favor requiring employers to provide paid family leave for new parents. Women are more likely than men to support the proposals, and Democrats are more likely than Republicans, but each is popular across the board. Mary Banek, a nurse anesthetist of Midlothian, Texas, said she helps take care of her 1-year-old grandson so he doesn't need day care. When she had her kids, she left the workforce and got a license to start a day care from her home to watch 12 children, including her own, so she could generate income. Banek said she's surprised at the high fees at day cares these days. 'I don't know what's happened and why it is so expensive,' Banek said, adding maybe there's a way to cap costs. She doesn't feel the government should foot the cost. Many think parents should be caregivers While many solutions focus on families with working parents, there isn't broad agreement this is the best arrangement for children. Just under half of U.S. adults, 45%, say children with two parents are better off when one parent doesn't have a job and raises the children. Only about 1 in 10 say children are better off when both parents work full time, and about 4 in 10 say it doesn't make a difference. Vice President JD Vance has tried to push for ideas that would encourage Americans to have families but has opposed government spending on child care, saying children benefit from having a parent or family member at home as a caretaker. About half of men say children with two parents are better off when one is the full-time caregiver, compared with about 4 in 10 women. Stephen Yip-Wineman, 45, a high school teacher from Murrieta, California, who describes himself as a moderate, said he feels society doesn't see the value of parents choosing to be caretakers. 'A lot of people are pushed into the idea that everyone in their family is going to work and that's the way of being a productive member of society,' Yip-Wineman said. 'They think staying home and taking care of the kids is somehow not contributing.' Yip-Wineman has two children ages 12 and 14, and their mother stays home, but he says his ideas of having a parent do the caretaking don't have to do with making the mother the primary caretaker. 'Having a parent raise the kids is not about pushing traditional Christian values and trying to keep women out of the workplace," he said. "It's about trying to be more personally engaged with each other.' Are changes happening? Many Democrats and Republicans have endorsed expansions to the child tax credit as a way to support families and lift children and young families out of poverty. While campaigning as Donald Trump's running mate, Vance raised the possibility of increasing the child tax credit to $5,000, saying that would help more parents stay home with their children. About 7 in 10 U.S. adults said they'd support increasing the child tax credit from $2,000 to $2,500 for parents who are U.S. citizens, a Washington Post/Ipsos poll from June found. Republicans and Democrats were similarly likely to support this: About 8 in 10 of each were in favor. In the final bill, however, the child tax credit increased to $2,200. Beyond expanding the child tax credit, the package also increased a benefit allowing most working parents to claim a higher percentage of their child care expenses and get more tax credits. Organizations want increased funding for federal early-learning and care programs, including a child care program for low-income families and an early-education program called Head Start. Trump's Republican administration backed away from a proposal this year to eliminate funding for Head Start. Other groups, including Child Care Aware of America, have pointed out the new law's cuts in Medicaid would result in a loss of health coverage for many child care workers. ___ The AP-NORC poll of 1,158 adults was conducted June 5-9, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Most U.S. adults say child care costs are a ‘major problem,' a new AP-NORC poll finds
Americans overwhelmingly view the cost of child care as a significant issue, and most support initiatives to offer free or low-cost day care and to require employers to provide paid family leave for parents of babies, according to a new poll. But they're divided over how to solve the problem and what role the government should have in that solution. About three-quarters of U.S. adults see child care costs as a 'major problem,' but only about half say helping working families pay for child care should be a 'high priority' for the federal government, according to the June poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The coronavirus pandemic was a tipping point, revealing the child care industry's vulnerabilities. The latest congressional package of tax cuts included tax credits and benefits for parents and businesses that assist employees with child care. Those changes have been praised by some, while others say millions of families at lower income levels wouldn't get the full credit and would be affected by cuts in Medicaid and food stamps. The poll findings help explain the difficulty advocacy groups, elected officials and families navigate in trying to address the high costs of care: While most agree it's a problem, there isn't a simple fix. For instance, while government-funded child care is popular, that might not be everyone's first choice. Many U.S. adults also think it's better for children with two parents to be cared for full time by a parent. 'Everyone kind of agrees that it's a problem that we need to address,' said Sarah Rittling, executive director of the First Five Years Fund advocacy organization. 'By having this issue out there, it really is driving a lot of bipartisan conversations.' Some consensus on free day care and paid family leave Most Americans support initiatives to offer child care or additional time for working families to spend with babies. About two-thirds support providing free or low-cost day care for children too young to attend public school, and a similar share favor requiring employers to provide paid family leave for new parents. Women are more likely than men to support the proposals, and Democrats are more likely than Republicans, but each is popular across the board. Mary Banek, a nurse anesthetist of Midlothian, Texas, said she helps take care of her 1-year-old grandson so he doesn't need day care. When she had her kids, she left the workforce and got a license to start a day care from her home to watch 12 children, including her own, so she could generate income. Banek said she's surprised at the high fees at day cares these days. 'I don't know what's happened and why it is so expensive,' Banek said, adding maybe there's a way to cap costs. She doesn't feel the government should foot the cost. Many think parents should be caregivers While many solutions focus on families with working parents, there isn't broad agreement this is the best arrangement for children. Just under half of U.S. adults, 45 per cent, say children with two parents are better off when one parent doesn't have a job and raises the children. Only about one in 10 say children are better off when both parents work full time, and about four in 10 say it doesn't make a difference. U.S. Vice President JD Vance has tried to push for ideas that would encourage Americans to have families but has opposed government spending on child care, saying children benefit from having a parent or family member at home as a caretaker. About half of men say children with two parents are better off when one is the full-time caregiver, compared with about four in 10 women. Stephen Yip-Wineman, 45, a high school teacher from Murrieta, California, who describes himself as a moderate, said he feels society doesn't see the value of parents choosing to be caretakers. 'A lot of people are pushed into the idea that everyone in their family is going to work and that's the way of being a productive member of society,' Yip-Wineman said. 'They think staying home and taking care of the kids is somehow not contributing.' Yip-Wineman has two children ages 12 and 14, and their mother stays home, but he says his ideas of having a parent do the caretaking don't have to do with making the mother the primary caretaker. 'Having a parent raise the kids is not about pushing traditional Christian values and trying to keep women out of the workplace,' he said. 'It's about trying to be more personally engaged with each other.' Are changes happening? Many Democrats and Republicans have endorsed expansions to the child tax credit as a way to support families and lift children and young families out of poverty. While campaigning as U.S. President Donald Trump's running mate, Vance raised the possibility of increasing the child tax credit to $5,000, saying that would help more parents stay home with their children. About 7 in 10 U.S. adults said they'd support increasing the child tax credit from $2,000 to $2,500 for parents who are U.S. citizens, a Washington Post/Ipsos poll from June found. Republicans and Democrats were similarly likely to support this: About 8 in 10 of each were in favor. In the final bill, however, the child tax credit increased to $2,200. Beyond expanding the child tax credit, the package also increased a benefit allowing most working parents to claim a higher percentage of their child care expenses and get more tax credits. Organizations want increased funding for federal early-learning and care programs, including a child care program for low-income families and an early-education program called Head Start. Trump's Republican administration backed away from a proposal this year to eliminate funding for Head Start. Other groups, including Child Care Aware of America, have pointed out the new law's cuts in Medicaid would result in a loss of health coverage for many child care workers. Adriana Gomez Licon And Linley Sanders, The Associated Press
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Most US adults say child care costs are a 'major problem,' a new AP-NORC poll finds
Americans overwhelmingly view the cost of child care as a significant issue, and most support initiatives to offer free or low-cost day care and to require employers to provide paid family leave for parents of babies, according to a new poll. But they're divided over how to solve the problem and what role the government should have in that solution. About three-quarters of U.S. adults see child care costs as a 'major problem,' but only about half say helping working families pay for child care should be a 'high priority' for the federal government, according to the June poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The coronavirus pandemic was a tipping point, revealing the child care industry's vulnerabilities. The latest congressional package of tax cuts included tax credits and benefits for parents and businesses that assist employees with child care. Those changes have been praised by some, while others say millions of families at lower income levels wouldn't get the full credit and would be affected by cuts in Medicaid and food stamps. The poll findings help explain the difficulty advocacy groups, elected officials and families navigate in trying to address the high costs of care: While most agree it's a problem, there isn't a simple fix. For instance, while government-funded child care is popular, that might not be everyone's first choice. Many U.S. adults also think it's better for children with two parents to be cared for full time by a parent. 'Everyone kind of agrees that it's a problem that we need to address,' said Sarah Rittling, executive director of the First Five Years Fund advocacy organization. 'By having this issue out there, it really is driving a lot of bipartisan conversations.' Some consensus on free day care and paid family leave Most Americans support initiatives to offer child care or additional time for working families to spend with babies. About two-thirds support providing free or low-cost day care for children too young to attend public school, and a similar share favor requiring employers to provide paid family leave for new parents. Women are more likely than men to support the proposals, and Democrats are more likely than Republicans, but each is popular across the board. Mary Banek, a nurse anesthetist of Midlothian, Texas, said she helps take care of her 1-year-old grandson so he doesn't need day care. When she had her kids, she left the workforce and got a license to start a day care from her home to watch 12 children, including her own, so she could generate income. Banek said she's surprised at the high fees at day cares these days. 'I don't know what's happened and why it is so expensive,' Banek said, adding maybe there's a way to cap costs. She doesn't feel the government should foot the cost. Many think parents should be caregivers While many solutions focus on families with working parents, there isn't broad agreement this is the best arrangement for children. Just under half of U.S. adults, 45%, say children with two parents are better off when one parent doesn't have a job and raises the children. Only about 1 in 10 say children are better off when both parents work full time, and about 4 in 10 say it doesn't make a difference. Vice President JD Vance has tried to push for ideas that would encourage Americans to have families but has opposed government spending on child care, saying children benefit from having a parent or family member at home as a caretaker. About half of men say children with two parents are better off when one is the full-time caregiver, compared with about 4 in 10 women. Stephen Yip-Wineman, 45, a high school teacher from Murrieta, California, who describes himself as a moderate, said he feels society doesn't see the value of parents choosing to be caretakers. 'A lot of people are pushed into the idea that everyone in their family is going to work and that's the way of being a productive member of society,' Yip-Wineman said. 'They think staying home and taking care of the kids is somehow not contributing.' Yip-Wineman has two children ages 12 and 14, and their mother stays home, but he says his ideas of having a parent do the caretaking don't have to do with making the mother the primary caretaker. 'Having a parent raise the kids is not about pushing traditional Christian values and trying to keep women out of the workplace,' he said. 'It's about trying to be more personally engaged with each other.' Are changes happening? Many Democrats and Republicans have endorsed expansions to the child tax credit as a way to support families and lift children and young families out of poverty. While campaigning as Donald Trump's running mate, Vance raised the possibility of increasing the child tax credit to $5,000, saying that would help more parents stay home with their children. About 7 in 10 U.S. adults said they'd support increasing the child tax credit from $2,000 to $2,500 for parents who are U.S. citizens, a Washington Post/Ipsos poll from June found. Republicans and Democrats were similarly likely to support this: About 8 in 10 of each were in favor. In the final bill, however, the child tax credit increased to $2,200. Beyond expanding the child tax credit, the package also increased a benefit allowing most working parents to claim a higher percentage of their child care expenses and get more tax credits. Organizations want increased funding for federal early-learning and care programs, including a child care program for low-income families and an early-education program called Head Start. Trump's Republican administration backed away from a proposal this year to eliminate funding for Head Start. Other groups, including Child Care Aware of America, have pointed out the new law's cuts in Medicaid would result in a loss of health coverage for many child care workers. ___ The AP-NORC poll of 1,158 adults was conducted June 5-9, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Al Arabiya
3 days ago
- Climate
- Al Arabiya
How Americans Think the Government Should Respond to Natural Disasters, According to Recent Polls
Most US adults who have experienced major flooding in the past five years think climate change was at least a partial cause, according to polling conducted earlier this year before the deadly Texas floods. But while Americans largely believed the federal government should play a major role in preparing for and responding to natural disasters, an analysis of recent AP-NORC polls shows less consensus about whether the government should be involved in combating climate change to try to keep extreme weather from getting worse. The polls from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research were conducted in February and June before catastrophic flooding in Texas killed more than 100 people over the Fourth of July holiday weekend and left others missing. The polls found that Americans generally had a high level of confidence in the National Weather Service and their local weather report, and most thought the federal government should play a central role in alerting Americans to weather events. That trust could now be undermined as officials face scrutiny over flood preparations and the timing of alerts and evacuations. Although meteorologists warn that human-caused climate change can make bad storms worse, it's unclear if overall views of climate change–and the government's role in combating it–will be altered. About two in 10 Americans said they had experienced major flooding in recent years, according to the February poll. And among those, about seven in 10 said climate change was at least a partial cause of the recent weather events they had experienced. That's in line with the share of Americans who have been affected in the past five years by any severe weather event, including extreme heat, droughts, hurricanes, or extreme cold. Those living in the Northeast and the South were more likely to say they had been personally impacted by major flooding in recent years. About seven in 10 Americans believe the federal government should have a major role in tracking weather events and warning people about them, according to AP-NORC polling from June. That includes about eight in 10 Democrats compared with roughly two-thirds of Republicans. About eight in 10 Americans want the government to provide aid to affected communities and help with rebuilding efforts, the June poll found. But there was less agreement on whether the government should be combating climate change to try to keep extreme weather from getting worse. Just over fifty-six percent of US adults say the government should have a key role in combating climate change to try to prevent extreme weather from worsening. Scientists have said climate change has led to frequent and more extreme alterations in weather patterns. About eight in 10 Democrats say the government should play a major role in fighting climate change compared with about three in 10 Republicans. Following the disaster, National Weather Service and local officials disagreed about who was ultimately to blame for the lack of awareness about the flood severity. The AP-NORC polling showed that before the Texas floods, Americans placed a relatively high level of trust in the National Weather Service and their local weather report. About four in 10 US adults said in the June survey that they were extremely or very confident in the National Weather Service or their local weather provider. Another four in 10 roughly were somewhat confident in the National Weather Service or their local weather report. Confidence in the Federal Emergency Management Agency was lower. Before the floods, only about two in 10 US adults said they were extremely or very confident in FEMA, while about four in 10 said they were somewhat confident. The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters, and funded coverage areas at
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Climate
- Washington Post
How Americans think the government should respond to natural disasters, according to recent polls
WASHINGTON — Most of the U.S. adults who have experienced major flooding in the past five years think climate change was at least a partial cause, according to polling conducted earlier this year, before the deadly Texas floods . But while Americans largely believed the federal government should play a major role in preparing for and responding to natural disasters, an analysis of recent AP-NORC polls shows less consensus about whether the government should be involved in combating climate change to try to keep extreme weather from getting worse.
