Child care can be a major expense for single parents and families in which both parents work. Excessive regulations are associated with significantly higher costs, but not meaningfully improved quality. Eliminating inefficient regulations could also encourage more providers to enter the marketplace, bolstering the supply of child care and further bringing down costs. Less regulation and more competition can make child care more affordable. Policymakers should ease the financial burden on parents regardless of their childcare arrangements through across-the-board tax relief.
