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BY HANNAH MATTHEWS | The United States is on the cusp of transformative change for America’s families. The Build Back Better Agenda, currently being negotiated in Congress, would create the nation’s first-ever paid family and medical leave program; make affordable, high-quality childcare and pre-kindergarten available for children and families; and raise wages for childcare workers.

For too long, American families—women in particular—have been forced to balance work and caregiving needs. We now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to boost the economic well-being of women and children and take steps toward a more inclusive economy, reducing racial and gender inequities.