Dear Members of Congress,
Independent Women’s Voice, which fights to enhance people’s freedom, opportunities, and well-being, is proud to support The Working Families Childcare Access Act, sponsored by Representative Jackie Walorski (R-Indiana). This important bill will help families nationwide save and support the costs of child care and general child-rearing by expanding the use of employer-sponsored Dependent-care Flexible Spending Accounts (DCFSAs).
The Working Families Childcare Access Act will allow working parents to set aside more funds in DCFSAs by raising the annual limit for pretax contributions from $5,000 to $15,000 and by allowing participants to roll over unused funds at the end of the year. It will also increase the maximum age limit for dependents from 13 years-old to 15 years-old and expand qualified expenses to include adoption, tutoring, sports, and art and music programs.
This approach is far superior to one that looks to ramp up direct government involvement in our childcare system, which would make child care more expensive and could displace the wide variety of childcare options available to families today. Child care is a very personal issue that doesn’t lend itself to one-size-fits-all government solutions. To ensure America’s children get the best care, we ought to give parents as many options as possible.
IWV thanks Rep. Walorski for her leadership on this crucial issue and urges all Members of Congress to join her and support The Working Families Childcare Access Act.
Respectfully,
Hadley Heath Manning
Director of Policy
Independent Women’s Voice