Warren Rallies Democrats on the Path Forward for Universal Child Care

Warren Rallies Democrats on the Path Forward for Universal Child Care

"It would be political malpractice for Democrats not to be talking about child care every chance we get, going into the midterms and beyond"

Livestream of Speech (YouTube)

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined the Center for American Progress' IDEAS Conference to deliver a speech on the need for universal child care.

"As a nation, we support our economy by investing in roads and bridges and public education - all so that our businesses and our workers can prosper. It's time to do the same for child care - make this investment so that mamas and daddies can work," said Senator Warren.

She highlighted how the cost of child care is crushing families, pointing to data that shows child care costs have risen twice as fast as inflation, and how in 47 out of 50 states, families are paying more for child care for two kids than rent for their whole family.

She also criticized Democrats for not being serious enough about getting universal child care done during a Democratic trifecta, saying Build Back Better was "an exercise in how weak and ineffective we could make the child care program and still call it child care."

"We lost child care [in Build Back Better] because not enough Democrats who were already in office were willing to fight for it. I believe down to my bones that Democrats who think there is no reward for fighting to deliver universal child care are dead wrong," said Senator Warren.

Senator Warren called on every Democratic candidate in 2026 and 2028 to make universal child care a core part of their platform, saying "[i]t would be political malpractice for Democrats not to be talking about child care every chance we get, going into the midterms and beyond."

The senator pressed Democrats to fight for universal child care and have legislation ready to pass on Day One of the next Democratic trifecta that "makes it possible for parents to access that care the very same year." Senator Warren has teamed up with Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) to draft legislation that would deliver universal child care.

"We're in this fight to deliver for the American people - not to talk, but to deliver. To lower the costs that are keeping people up at night. And to give people some hope by showing what it looks like when government is actually on their side," said Senator Warren.

"Whether you have kids or not - whether you even like kids or not - universal child care is the best investment we can make in bolstering the middle class… As Democrats go around the country asking people to vote for us, every single one of us should be talking about child care," Senator Warren concluded.

Transcript: CAP IDEAS Conference
May 19, 2026

As Prepared for Delivery

Senator Elizabeth Warren: Thank you to Neera and CAP's outstanding team for pulling together today's conference. And thank you, Jared, for the very generous introduction.

A lot of folks here today are going to tell you that costs are way up, and Donald Trump is to blame. That's true - and it's a big reason why Trump's approval rating just hit an all-time low. But Americans are angry - and have been angry for a long time - because costs have been going up for decades under both parties.

If we want to win the midterms and have a fighting chance in 2028, we need to convince Americans that we're serious about taking on big fights and lowering costs. That means no more general hand-waving. It means specific proposals that would make meaningful differences in people's lives - specific proposals that we're willing to be held accountable for delivering on.

Let's start with child care.

Child care costs have risen twice as fast as inflation. In 47 out of 50 states, families are paying more for child care for two kids than rent for their whole family. And under Donald Trump, the crisis has gotten worse.

As a young working mom, I was about an inch away from quitting my job before my Aunt Bee moved in to help with child care. That was forty years ago - and it's only gotten worse since.

Today, half of all families live in child care deserts, meaning there are two or three children who need care for every one child care slot. If you're lucky, you might get a spot for your infant in six months. But you might get stuck on a two-year waitlist for the privilege of paying $20,000 plus a year.

How did we get here? It's Econ 101 - supply and demand. Prices are high because lots of families need care, and there are nowhere near enough child care providers.

And why are there not enough child care workers? Again, it's Econ 101: There aren't enough workers because those workers are typically paid at lower rates than Uber drivers.

So why not pay them more? Typically, when you need more workers, you pay more. But families are already getting flattened by sky-high costs for care and they simply can't afford to pay more.

In other words, the private market has not - and will not - solve the child care market problem. The only way to develop adequate child care is for the government to fill the gap by investing in families and workers.

It would be a smart investment with huge payoffs. Workers would be paid commensurate with their training and responsibilities. Babies would get a strong start in life. And families would get relief on a huge cost.

As a nation, we support our economy by investing in roads and bridges and public education - all so that our businesses and our workers can prosper. It's time to do the same for child care - make this investment so that mamas and daddies can work - and then we'll all see the payoff.

Child care should not be a privilege that is reserved just for the rich. Child care is public infrastructure that makes our communities and our businesses flourish.

When I ran for president in 2020, I talked about child care at every stop - but while every Democratic candidate supported expanding child care, it wasn't the issue they talked about on the stump.

When Joe Biden was elected, we were in the throes of the COVID pandemic, which ripped back the curtain on how fragile our cobbled-together child care system really is. And for the first time in a long time, we had a Democratic trifecta. To me, this was a golden chance - our moment to finally deliver universal child care.

I wasn't alone in fighting for child care. Patty Murray and I burned up the phone lines strategizing with each other. The advocates circulated data and stories and brought families to the Hill to testify about the difference that a good child care program would make. And, just like during the 2020 campaign, almost every Democrat would tell you - if they were asked - that sure, they supported including child care. But not enough were willing to fight for it - they were just checking the box.

The law the Democrats were putting together, Build Back Better, was never about how to build a robust, effective child care system. Instead, it was an exercise in how weak and ineffective we could make the child care program and still call it child care. How little we could invest to keep the price tag under an artificial cap. How much we could discourage states from implementing the program so the cost on paper wouldn't scare Joe Manchin and the tax policies on the other side of the ledger wouldn't make Kyrsten Sinema give a little curtsey and vote no. That was the frustrating, aggravating process, right up until - poof - child care got thrown out entirely.

We lost child care because not enough Democrats who were already in office were willing to fight for it. I believe down to my bones that Democrats who think there is no reward for fighting to deliver universal child care are dead wrong.

Today, states and cities across the country are leading the charge. Democrats like Governor Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey, Governor Abigail Spanberger in Virginia, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani in New York campaigned aggressively on increasing access to child care - and they won.

I give them huge respect, but to deliver big for every American family, states and cities can't do it alone.

But here's the good news: they don't need to. Universal child care isn't just good policy, it's good politics.

Right now, Republicans are fumbling over the child care issue at the most basic level. Vice President JD Vance's solution? Just have grandparents move in next door! Last month, Donald Trump said out loud - on camera - that we can't, "take care of" child care because we have to dump a billion dollars a day into a war halfway around the world with Iran. So much for "America first."

It would be political malpractice for Democrats not to be talking about child care every chance we get, going into the midterms and beyond. When I look at the upcoming Democratic presidential primary, every 2028 candidate who understands what's happening in this country, who wants to win, AND who will deliver for families, will make universal child care a core piece of their agenda.

So, how do we get it done? First: Cover everyone. We can't be afraid of big, structural change. And that means affordable, high-quality child care for every single American family.

Social Security is the most popular government program ever because it benefits everyone. The same should be true of child care - every parent, every employer, every worker needs to see exactly how our program helps them. We must cover all families, and keep prices manageable for all families. For the typical family, who might be paying $25,00 a year for child care right now - this proposal would save them $15,000 - every year! And a single mother making $60,000 a year? She'd pay nothing at all. That's a big deal.

Second: Speed. We need to deliver quickly to solve the affordability crisis flattening families right now. I'm talking months, not years.

Remember what happened the last time Democrats were in power. Talented, dedicated folks put together a whole lot of really good policies - but speed just wasn't baked in, so it took too long for those investments to help families. Some benefits like Medicare Drug negotiations were passed into law, but they were deliberately set up for the price cuts not to kick in until years later.

When the election rolled around, people asked themselves: "what have Democrats done for me?" Too many of them felt the answer was "not enough" or, even worse, "nothing at all."

Our new child care proposal needs to get resources to the states and localities right away. That means setting up strike teams to help states and cities create more child care slots now. That means helping the neighbor who babysits get licensed. That means re-thinking regulations that are keeping out new providers. Yes, we need to keep our kids safe. And yes, we need all types of providers who can meet those standards so we have abundant, affordable, high-quality child care for every family.

The time to get ready is now. When we get the next Democratic trifecta, we need legislation that's ready to pass on Day One. And our legislation should make it possible for parents to access that care the very same year. Some people might say that's unrealistic. I say you don't get what you don't fight for.

I'm putting my money where my mouth is. I've teamed up with the top Democratic Appropriator Patty Murray, the top House Democrat for education Bobby Scott, and the outstanding Congresswoman from New York Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The four of us are doing the hard policy work right now. We're working to draft a bill that will be the Day One solution once we take back power. And we need every Democrat, whether they are in office now or running for office, on board. Can I get an amen?

It's a tough time. Costs - including the cost of child care - are crushing American families, and Donald Trump is too busy starting wars and lining his own pockets to care.

We're in this fight to deliver for the American people - not to talk, but to deliver. To lower the costs that are keeping people up at night. And to give people some hope by showing what it looks like when government is actually on their side.

The impact of universal, affordable child care for all families would be seismic.

It would mean that a single mother could go back to school to become a nurse. It would mean a young family could actually save enough to buy a house. It would mean a couple could start that small business they'd been dreaming of.

It would be life-changing for millions of families across the country.

Whether you have kids or not - whether you even like kids or not - universal child care is the best investment we can make in bolstering the middle class. And that should matter to everyone.

As Democrats go around the country asking people to vote for us, every single one of us should be talking about child care. We can take back Congress, then we can take back the White House, and then, we can deliver universal child care.

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