Every top 2020 Democrat is backing big changes to child care in the U.S.

(Image credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

published 15 January 2020

There's one big thing every 2020 Democrat debating Tuesday night can agree on.

When asked about America's child care system, every one of the six Democrats onstage Tuesday made it clear they believe something needs to change. "It makes no sense for child care to cost two-thirds of somebody's income," former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg said, kicking off a spree of candidates calling for access to affordable and even free child care.

Buttigieg has announced a $700 billion investment into child care before kindergarten, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) continued his conversation by calling for a free universal child care program for 4- and 5-year-olds. Beyond that, Warren said, America needs to "stop exploiting the people who do this valuable work, largely black and brown women" by raising wages for child-care workers and preschool teachers. Sanders continued her call for free universal child care, saying "our current child-care system is an embarrassment."

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Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.

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