How Donald Trump and Kamala Harris’ Child Care and Family Policies Differ

The rising cost of child care is a core issue for some American families already grappling with inflation and the cost of living, but where do the presidential candidates stand on lessening the burden for voters?
Former President Donald Trump was pressed on his plans to address child care costs during an appearance before the Economic Club of New York on Thursday, during which the Republican nominee promoted his fiscal policy as a solution to the rising prices of everyday necessities. When asked by Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani if he would “commit to prioritizing legislation to make child care affordable” if reelected to office, Trump told the panel of business leaders that his plans to increase taxes on imports could “take care” of rising costs like child care.
“Child care is child care, it’s something you have to have in this country,” Trump said, who also touted efforts by his daughter, Ivanka, to address child care costs during his first presidency.
“It’s a very important issue,” Trump continued. “But I think when you talk about the kind of numbers that I’m talking about … child care is child care—you know, you have to have it in this country, you have to have it.”
“But when you talk about those numbers compared to the kind of numbers that I’m talking about by taxing foreign nations at levels that they’re not used to … Those numbers are so much bigger than any numbers that we’re talking about, including child care, that it’s going to take care [of it],” he added.
Some economists have raised concerns that Trump’s tariff plans could backfire and raise costs on goods instead. The conservative think tank, the American Action Forum, said in a report in June that Trump’s proposal for a 10 percent tariff on imports could result in an estimated $1,700 to $2,350 in added costs annually to U.S. households. Economists at the Center for American Progress Action Fund have estimated that the plan, coupled with Trump’s proposal to eliminate income taxes, could raise costs by $5,000 annually.
In an email to Newsweek on Thursday, Harris campaign spokesperson Joseph Costello said that “Billionaire-bought Donald Trump’s ‘plan’ for making child care more affordable is to impose a $3,900 tax hike on middle class families.”
“The American people deserve a President who will actually cut costs for them, like Vice President Harris’ plan to bring back a $3,600 Child Tax Credit for working families and an expanded $6,000 tax cut for families with newborn children.”
The former president’s comments arrived a day after his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, was asked about his plans to address child care costs, during a discussion with Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
Vance suggested that one way to “relieve a little bit of pressure” on families is by making it easier for a family member to stay home with a child rather than having to pay for day care, telling Kirk: “Maybe Grandma or Grandpa wants to help out a little bit more, or maybe there’s an aunt or uncle that wants to help out a little bit more. If that happens, you relieve some of the pressure on all the resources that we’re spending on day care.”
The Democratic ticket has offered more specific examples of how they plan to slash the cost of child care and other familial expenses. While on the campaign trail, Vice President Kamala Harris has touted her work under the Biden administration to establish a national paid family leave, plans for universal preschool programs and efforts to invest billions in federal money to assist in child care costs.
She has also outlined plans to increase the child tax credit, which sits at $2,000 per child, up to $3,600, and offer families with newborns up to $6,000 in the first year of the child’s life. Speaking to supporters at a rally in North Carolina last month, Harris said that a child’s first year is a “vital year of critical development of a child, and the costs can really add up, especially for young parents who need to buy diapers and clothes and a car seat and so much else.”
Other parts of Harris’ economic plan, however, have raised questions from economists, including the vice president’s promise to go after corporate price gouging on groceries. Experts like William Ruger, the president of the American Institute for Economic Research, have warned that a ban on so-called price gouging could have negative impacts on supply flow.
“In the case of price controls, it will be shortages and the emergence of black markets,” Ruger previously told Newsweek. “So, her plan is both unrealistic and dangerous.”
Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, has also made familial expenses a priority in his administration. His state has one of the largest child tax credits in the nation, offering up to $1,750 per child. Walz also signed a bill last year that provided partial wage replacement for up to 20 weeks of leave for parents or others who have to take time off to care for a family member.
Trump and Vance have also supported increasing the child tax credit. The Republican vice presidential candidate, for example, has suggested that families get up to $5,000 in relief per child, and the plan would not include income restrictions. Under current federal guidelines, the tax credit is available to couples who make $400,00 or less or individuals making $200,000 or less.
A bill that would have expanded the child tax credit to the same levels as during the COVID-19 pandemic—where eligible families got $3,600 per child—was struck down in the Senate at the beginning of last month due to Republican opposition. Vance was not present to vote on the measure, and was pressed by Senate Democrats for his lack of support.
“If JD Vance sincerely gave a whit about working families in America, he would have shown up in the Senate a week and a half ago and voted for my proposal to expand the child tax credit and help 16 million low-income kids get ahead,” Oregon Democratic Senator Ron Wyden said in a statement last month.
Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to Newsweek on Thursday, “President Trump’s first-term economic policies uplifted families by putting more money in our pockets, while making expanded access to child care and paid family leave top priorities in his Administration.”
“Now in Kamala Harris’ America, hardworking families are struggling to buy basic groceries, diapers, and baby formula for their children,” Leavitt added via email. “President Trump will make America strong, safe, and prosperous again for struggling American families when he returns to the White House.”
Update 09/05/24, 10:11 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Trump’s campaign.