The Pennsylvania House passed a bill to provide tax credits to employers who assist employees with child care costs, aiming to alleviate the financial burden on families in a state where child care is expensive and underprovided.
Pennsylvania House Passes Bill Offering Tax Credits for Employer-Assisted Child Care, Advocates Await Senate Decision
According to the published article in CBS News, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has approved a new bill to help employers assist their employees with the high costs of child care. Child care in Pennsylvania can cost over $11,000 a year, making it hard for many families to afford. The bill, which got support from both parties, gives employers a tax credit for the first $500 they provide to help with childcare costs. Diane Barber from the Pennsylvania Child Care Association said both families and childcare providers face big challenges, including low wages for childcare workers compared to other jobs.
Some people are against the bill. Republican state Rep. Aaron Bernstine thinks the money should go straight to families instead of giving tax breaks to employers. He believes the bill won’t do enough to encourage companies to start helping with child care and doesn’t fix the problem of not having enough affordable childcare centers. Bernstine and others think the focus should be on directly helping parents and making child care more affordable and available.
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$11,000 Child Care Costs: Pennsylvania House Passes Bill to Help Employers Support Employees with Tax Credits (PHOTO: CBS News)
Pennsylvania House Passes Bill to Aid Employee Child Care Costs Despite Some Opposition
Furthermore, the bill will now go to the Pennsylvania Senate, where supporters hope it will pass. If it becomes law, the tax credit is expected to help reduce the financial burden on working families and encourage employers to support their employees with child care. This debate shows the bigger issue of how expensive child care is and the need for more solutions to help both parents and childcare providers.
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