For far too long, thousands of Alabama parents especially women - have been forced out of the workforce due to lack of access to quality, affordable child care. While this specific barrier impacts thousands of parents, whats at stake is far more complex, intergenerational economic mobility for hardworking Alabama families. While women bear the brunt of this reality, we know that over 74 percent of women in Alabama serve as breadwinners, meaning they contribute at least 40 percent of the household income, highlighting their crucial role as essential contributors to their families and communities.
Any state, including Alabama, that prioritizes removal of barriers to economic opportunity for women will gain the competitive advantage. And thats exactly what members of the Alabama Legislature have the opportunity to do during this years regular legislative sessionstarting with child care.
The Alabama Child Care Tax Credit plan, backed by Womens Foundation of Alabama, Manufacture Alabama, and nearly 40 other employers and trade associations, can move Alabama closer to a world where parents are not forced to choose between being a good parent and a good employee. A watershed moment where the industry of child care is valued equal to its seismic multi-billion dollar impact on the states economic activity.
The State of Alabama is no stranger to utilizing tax credits and incentives as a strategy to spur economic development. The proposed plan would make child care more accessible to Alabama families through tax credits, and if fully phased in over the next five years, could impact an estimated 58,000 families.
Employers could use the tax credit to offer on-site child care, stipends to their employees, or a reserved spot at a licensed facility each an attractive option for any working parent.
Child care owners and operators, most of which are women-owned businesses, could offset costs as they enhance quality through participation in the states quality rating and improvement program and based on the number of children served who are enrolled in the Alabama child care subsidy program.
Nonprofit providers, including religious providers, could qualify for an incentive aimed at expanding capacity and improving quality, enabling them to utilize it for repairs, staff pay, and operations.
Alabama state lawmakers need to think big, act big, and invest big in the power and economic possibility of women and families by voting YES on Alabama Child Care Tax Credit plan, House Bill 358 and Senate Bill 280.
Access to safe, affordable child care should not exist behind a velvet rope. It should be a bedrock from which Alabama parents can support their families, not be a barrier to overcome. If ever there was a time for change, that time is now.
Alabama families are counting on it.
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