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Based on a survey, it was determined that American parents still continue to struggle with finding quality child care when they return to their jobs. The results indicated that the lack of personnel and vacant positions, as well as expensive services have been an issue for these working parents.

Megan Carpenter, a new mother who resides in Virginia, recently shared her experience with respect to the lack of quality child care for her infant baby. One of the interviewees for a study conducted by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, she indicated that after 16 weeks of giving birth and after her maternity leave was done, she had to return to her low-income job. She was worried who would take care of her child while she's at work, reported NPR.

She attested that on top of paying about $1,000 worth of waiting fees, she and her husband still felt reluctant to leave their baby at a nursing home that was unreliable and overcrowded. On top of that, she also claimed that they had to acquire the services of other mothers to look after their child until a spot at one of the quality child care centers would become available.

In fact, her experience was lodged by the report as a reflection of what American working parents go through on a day-to-day basis. Some establishments she sought the service for did not abide by the infant-care guidelines set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

With respect to what the government had been doing to address this issue, Long Island Press reported that there were existing federal programs that are addressing the needs of low-income families. However, these were not sufficiently funded to afford quality child care to American working parents. Only 40% of the income-eligible children were said to be given the quality child care privilege.

President-elect Donald Trump suggested a proposal that would increase the aid to American working parents to $1,000. This additional budget was said to address the considerably high costs of quality child care.

Additionally, quality child care could not be provided unless the caretakers and workers would be awarded the right wages. It was revealed that they only earn $10.39/hr which is 40% lower than the median salary.

Will this Donald Trump proposal address the lack of quality child care services to American working parents? Will adequate financial support for child care and providers be enacted by the upcoming administration?