Dear John,

Today, on this Father’s Day, I want to celebrate being a dad to my 4-year-old son, but it’s hard to fully enjoy this day. It’s hard because it’s another reminder of how our country treats parents, families, early educators, and children.

I call on my fellow dads to view the child care crisis as theirs to help solve. Because child care is not—and never has been—a “women’s issue.” It’s a national crisis that hurts families and early educators, burdens our economy, and prevents the people we love the most from realizing their full potential.

As both a man and a dad, I’m working to push back against the patriarchal double standard of outdated views of child care. The truth is that I get praised for the same things that are expected from my wife and taken for granted. This is a reflection of our patriarchal system that extends into every aspect of our society, including early education. It is the reason why early educators are getting paid less because their work is seen as “women’s work” and why it’s so difficult for families to access affordable, high-quality child care. And I’m tired of it.

In 39 states and Washington D.C., sending your infant to a child care center costs more than annual in-state college tuition; and nationally, it averages $11,582 a year. Even if you can afford child care, wait lists are often up to two years long.

I’ve seen first-hand how hard it is for working families to survive without basic supports. My mother had to abandon her education and career to take care of me and my siblings. And when I got sick at school, my father would sometimes have to leave his factory job to pick me up. Even though that meant worrying for the rest of the week about the size of his check.

I recognize that things are different for me than they were for my parents. My partner and I can afford child care, and have the flexibility in our schedules to take time off work, which means I have the privilege of being able to focus on being a dad. That’s not the case for millions of parents across our country, who spend a significant amount of their time and energy making sure they have enough work and income to pay their bills; piecing together child care coverage; working through sickness, and delaying necessary medical services.

The truth is what most families in this country have in common is that they’re burdened by the high cost and lack of available child care options. So on this Father’s Day, join me in demanding more for families.

In solidarity,

Angel Padilla
he/him/his
Vice President of Strategy and Policy
National Women's Law Center