Here's the real proposal with all of DawnCt's misleading, propaganda removed...
During a roundtable discussion at a Columbus child care facility Wednesday, Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry discussed his plan to help working families make ends meet by offering a tax credit for child care and expanding afterschool programs.
As parents work longer hours, families need high-quality child care and afterschool programs more than ever before. Unfortunately, quality child care costs more than a public university, and many afterschool programs do not have enough space for kids, do not stay open late enough or do not meet transportation needs.
Today John Kerry pledged to ease this strain on families with a two-part plan.
Our kids need a safe place to go while their parents are at work, and parents need peace of mind, Kerry said. They need to know that while theyre at work, their kids are safe.
President Bush proposed cuts that would deny 500,000 children afterschool opportunities, leaving families with nowhere to turn.
All across this country there are families who would like to enroll their kids in afterschool and child care programs, but they cant because budgets are tight, Kerry said. And for this Administration in Washington, afterschool is just an after-thought. They dont understand how important it is to working parents. Well, we do. We know how much afterschool and child care matter for working families, and thats why I have a plan that will help families do the right thing for their kids.
First, Kerrys plan will increase the Childcare Tax Credit and for the first time make it available for moderate-income families and stay-at-home moms. Designed to help families pay for work-related childcare expenses, the Childcare Tax Credit has failed to keep up with the skyrocketing cost of child care. Kerry will increase the value of the tax credit by $800 for a typical middle-class family with two children in child care.
Second, Kerry will create the Schools Open Til 6 afterschool program, expanding afterschool opportunities and ensuring they meet the demands of overstretched parents. Kerrys plan focuses on three goals: first, meeting the needs of working parents by keeping afterschool programs open late and offering transportation; second, fostering strong values through mentoring and community service; and third, improving educational quality. Kerrys plan will serve 3.5 million children, an increase of more than 2 million children from the level today.