President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Tuesday directing federal agencies to find ways to make child care cheaper and more accessible. The order includes more than 50 directives aimed at nearly every agency, making it the most sweeping effort by any president to streamline the delivery of child care. The goal is not only to fix our nation's child care and long-term care systems but also make Medicare and Medicaid dollars go further.
In addition, the executive order seeks new ways to improve care for veterans and Native American tribes. Domestic Policy Adviser Susan Rice called this move “historic” during a call with reporters previewing the executive order. However, additional funding for these efforts may face an unlikely road in Congress.
The Department of Labor will publish a sample employment agreement so domestic childcare workers, long-term caregivers, employers can better understand their rights and responsibilities. Furthermore, this directive aims at improving transparency while expanding areas of federal coverage.
An analysis conducted by Boston Consulting Group forecasts that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) losses could reach nearly $300 billion per year if the United States fails to address critical care infrastructure challenges.
The White House downplayed President Biden's struggle in securing new federal funding by arguing that lack of access to affordable child care has economic repercussions beyond immediate costs involved.
Agencies have been directed through this executive order to identify grant programs supporting child-care services for those working on federal projects. Moreover, improvements are expected in home-based veteran healthcare access through the Department of Veterans Affairs as well as streamlining processes for American Indian and Alaska Native communities regarding childcare access via the Department of Health & Human Services.
The Office of Personnel Management will review subsidy policies considering standards set forth regarding how agencies provide childcare subsidies without setting specific dollar amounts tied with these directives - instead focusing on taking full advantage of existing spending allocated towards public welfare activities within respective domains such as Child Care and Development Block Grants, Head Start programs, and high-quality preschool provisions in areas with high poverty rates.
The executive order highlights the Biden administration's commitment to increasing access to child care while improving work-life conditions for caregivers. Although funded by existing commitments, it carries a symbolic weight reaffirming President Joe Biden's dedication towards expanding affordable child care options and supporting caregivers despite facing opposition from Republicans seeking limits on spending.