Did you hear about Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), the Republican candidate for vice president, who suggested solving child care issues by asking grandparents or other relatives to pitch in more? Essentially, the proposal relies on women to take on additional care responsibilities.

Even as we approach 2024, the majority of child care duties still fall on women.

This approach is deeply flawed, reflecting the false beliefs that child care is solely a women’s issue and that women should handle it. Women, whether as mothers, grandmothers, aunts, or employees, are undervalued.

If you’re a mother of a young child or know someone who is, you’ve likely experienced the challenges of the US early care and education system firsthand. A significant number of parents with young children face increasing costs, while many struggle to find affordable child care.

Equally concerning is the fact that women working in child care and education are paid significantly less, with 97% of other occupations earning more.

In situations where families cannot secure child care or afford it, the burden typically falls on mothers. Women are more likely to leave their jobs, reduce their working hours, or take time off when faced with child care challenges, leading to long-term consequences on their earnings and financial stability.

Additionally, some of these mothers are also child care providers themselves. Despite being skilled professionals with extensive experience and education, they are paid so poorly that they experience poverty rates much higher than elementary and middle school teachers.

Women play a critical role as the social safety net in America, but this has detrimental effects on them.

There is a better way. As one of the wealthiest nations globally, the US has the means to support a comprehensive public early care and education system for children up to five years old, providing fair wages to all educators.

The recent brief from the Biden-Harris administration advocating for child care as essential economic infrastructure echoes the sentiments of feminist economists.

To prioritize women’s value, our country must invest differently and adopt known solutions rather than neglecting them.

The current system forces educators and mothers into competition, claiming there isn’t enough funding to both expand access for families and improve wages for educators, suggesting a choice must be made.

Despite the substantial federal funding for early care and education during the pandemic, which revealed possibilities and solutions, meaningful reforms were not fully implemented. As federal pandemic relief for child care expires, programs still struggle with high turnover and challenges in recruiting and retaining staff due to unlivable wages.

It’s time to invest in early care and education for all children rather than expecting women to make personal sacrifices to support the economy.

Caitlin McLean serves as the director of multi-state and international programs, while Penelope Whitney works as the communications director at the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, UC-Berkeley.