Issue	Solution
Family & Work
The balance between work and family is still elusive for the majority of Americans who have both a career and a family. Over half of women and men surveyed are worried about having enough time to spend with their families. Seventy-six percent of people under 30 believe they’ll have to care for children as well as an aging parent. FACT: 7,891,000 women who maintain families are employed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. FACT: One-fifth of women surveyed say they currently care for or have cared for an elderly person. CPA Resource: Women & the Economy Program	Extend the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to include businesses with 25 or more employees. Establish state referral systems for available family resources. Develop innovative family care alternatives (eldercare legislation available from CPA). Increase available child care slots in each state (Child Care Loan Guarantee Act model legislation available on CPA’s website).
Child Care
Families of the working poor are facing a crisis of child care that has a direct impact not only on the child’s well-being, but on the ability of the family to maintain a steady income. There are not enough center-based facilities and certified family day care homes to meet the increasing demand for quality, affordable child care. Particularly as state experimentation with “workfare” grows, the working poor must have access to quality and affordable child care. FACT: In Washington, DC, the average cost of child care is $552/month, making it the fourth most expensive in the country (Washington Child Development Council). CPA Resource: Revitalizing Communities Program	Establish a financing system to assist child care providers in obtaining licenses and upgrading existing facilities. This will boost the number of child care providers and increase available child care slots significantly (Child Care Loan Guarantee Act model legislation available on CPA’s website). Leverage funds from lending institutions and city funds to make starting a child care business an attractive and do-able enterprise.