As Congress prepares for a major overhaul of the U.S. tax code, new polling reveals overwhelming support among Republican voters for expanding federal child care tax credits—underscoring a rare area of bipartisan consensus on economic relief for working families.
Conducted by GOP polling firm UpONE Insights on behalf of the First Five Years Fund (FFYF), the national survey found that 83% of Republican voters support increasing the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC). The credit, which directly offsets child care expenses, hasn’t been updated since 2001.
Child care costs seen as crisis by GOP voters
A striking 73% of Republicans describe the lack of affordable child care as a “crisis” or “major problem” for working families. Among Republican voters under 34, nearly two-thirds said they or someone they know have delayed having children due to the cost of care.
“These results highlight how deeply child care affordability is impacting families across all demographics—including conservative households,” said Jane Fillion, a spokesperson for FFYF.
Strong support for modernizing child care tax tools
The poll tested voter views on three key child care tax provisions, all of which have lagged behind inflation and real-world expenses:
- Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC): 83% of GOP voters support an increase
- Dependent Care Assistance Plan (DCAP): 86% support expanding flexible spending accounts
- Employer-Provided Child Care Credit (45F): 81% favor increasing employer incentives
Support was especially strong among key Republican demographics: 84% of GOP primary voters, 90% of Hispanic Republicans, and 86% of rural voters said they backed CDCTC expansion.
Economic impact resonates with conservative voters
Two-thirds of Republican voters said updating these tax credits would strengthen the economy by making child care more accessible and affordable. A full 83% believe such reforms would help working families reduce their financial burden.
The poll comes as Republicans in Congress and the White House work to shape a new tax package ahead of the scheduled expiration of provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
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