•Press Release Affordable Care Act Health and Social Programs
Washington DC — Developed nations of the world have universal health care, guaranteed paid sick days and vacations, and a host of benefits that support families. The United States is exceptional; it doesn’t have any of those benefits, and when it comes to providing family benefits, like child allowances and child care, it’s actually moving backwards, as seen in this new analysis from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR).
Canada’s family benefit spending was about equal to the US in 2000; now Canada spends twice the US amount, as does Japan, find co-authors researcher Simron Kalkat and Senior Policy Fellow Shawn Fremstad.
“By guaranteeing paid family and medical leave, investing in affordable child care, and expanding the Child Tax Credit, the US could increase the economic security of working-class families, and become a leader, rather than a laggard, on family benefits,” notes Fremstad.
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