It’s getting harder for many families to keep their funds in order as the cost of living keeps going up. Especially clear in Nevada, where child care costs are some of the highest in the country compared to family income.
A recent poll, done in English and Spanish from August 17–29 and with a 4.5% margin of error, shows that a lot of people want to increase the Child Tax Credit and other important steps to help working families with their money.
The ChildTax Credit has been an important way to help reduce kid poverty in the US for a long time. But it didn’t have as much of an effect after the temporary increases put in place during the pandemic ended in 2022. During that time, the credit went up to $3,600 for kids younger than six and $3,000 for kids six to seventeen.
The impact of the Child Tax Credit
The poll found that 73% of Nevadans want to bring back these higher amounts, which would make the credit fully refunded for all families.
This credit was very important in cutting kid poverty by a third during the pandemic. Now, a lot of people in Nevada want it to be brought back. Both Democrats and Republicans support the idea of raising the credit to $3,600 per child. Eighty-two percent of Democrats and sixty-four percent of Republicans back it.
This credit is like a lifesaver for many families because it helps them pay for things like food, clothes, and school for their kids.
Childcare in Nevada: a financial burden
The study also says that Nevada has one of the highest costs of child care compared to family income in the country. Nevada families spend the most on child care, at about 32% of their salary on average. This is the highest percentage in the country. A lot of families are having a hard time finding a good mix between working and paying for the care their kids need.
One of the most popular ideas in the poll was to help low- and middle-income families pay for child care. 77% of people who answered in Nevada agree that these families shouldn’t have to spend more than 7% of their income on child care. A lot of people from both parties support this bill; 68% of Republicans and 85% of Democrats have said they do.
Universal preschool: a key investment
Funding for universal preschool education is another issue that got a lot of support in the poll. Eight out of ten Nevadans want to see more money put into preschool programs, which shows that a lot of people want to make sure that all kids have the same chances to go to preschool.
Only 7% of four-year-olds in Nevada are registered in state-funded preschool programs, which is one of the lowest rates in the country. This number is much smaller than in other states, and it’s becoming clearer that money needs to be put into this area.
It is well known that preschool education has long-term benefits, such as helping kids develop better social and mental skills and doing better in school and their health as they get older.
Helping to pay for preschool is not just a political problem. 94% of Democrats and 67% of Republicans in Nevada think that putting more money into preschool education is important for kids’ growth and families’ health. This huge amount of support shows that more and more people see early childhood education as an important investment in the future.
Bipartisan support for paid family and medical leave policies
Creating a federal paid family and medical leave program was another proposal that got a lot of support in the poll. Nevada doesn’t have a law that guarantees paid family leave right now, so many families have to choose between working and taking care of a sick family member.
However, the poll shows that 70% of Nevadans want the federal government to start a program that would let workers get two-thirds of their pay for up to 12 weeks of leave.
The strategy has strong support from Democrats (82% of them are in favor), but only 52% of Republicans are in favor. There are political differences on this topic, but the need for paid family leave is becoming more popular, especially since the pandemic showed how weak the current system is.
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