$50 Million Push Aims to Make Child Care a Top Midterm Issue

Advocacy group plans to back Democrats in key congressional races to highlight caregiving costs.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 11:18pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

An advocacy group called the Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy plans to spend $50 million to support Democratic candidates in congressional races, tying the high costs of child and elder care to the broader affordability debate. The group hopes to make caregiving issues more salient in elections as child care costs continue to rise and waiting lists for federal subsidies grow.

Why it matters

Child care affordability has become an increasingly important issue for many voters, with costs often exceeding housing expenses. The 'sandwich generation' of middle-aged adults caring for both children and aging parents also faces significant financial pressures. The advocacy group hopes to leverage these concerns to motivate voters in key Senate and House races.

The details

The Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy will focus its $50 million spending on Senate races in North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Maine and Ohio, as well as House races in Iowa and Pennsylvania. The group also plans to deploy volunteers to discuss caregiving issues with voters. While Republicans have begun supporting child care as a workforce issue, their proposals tend to be less expansive than Democratic plans for universal pre-K and increased subsidies.

  • The advocacy group's $50 million campaign will target the 2026 midterm elections.

The players

Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy

An advocacy group created a decade ago that aims to make caregiver issues more salient in elections.

Sondra Goldschein

The executive director of the Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy and its political action committee.

Donald Trump

The former president, who in his 2024 campaign said increasing foreign tariffs would 'take care' of the expense of child care, though that plan has not materialized.

Joe Biden

The current president, who in 2021 successfully persuaded Congress to pass $39 billion in aid for child care, and later that year sought to create nationwide universal pre-K and expand child care subsidies, though the proposal narrowly failed in Congress.

Zohran Mamdani

The New York mayor who won election after pledging to make the city more affordable for middle-class residents, including through a universal child care plan.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“When child care can cost more than your rent or a mortgage, or you have to sacrifice a paycheck in order to be able to take care of a loved one, that can motivate how people vote.”

— Sondra Goldschein, Executive Director, Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy

What’s next

The advocacy group plans to deploy volunteers to talk with voters about caregiving issues in the lead-up to the 2026 midterm elections.

The takeaway

The high costs of child care and elder care have become major affordability concerns for many American families, and advocacy groups are seeking to elevate these issues as key voting priorities in upcoming elections.