Op-Ed: Support North Carolina Families: Expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit

As a father and former North Carolina state senator, I know the sacrifices parents make to provide for their families. The cost of child care is a relentless burden, consuming a significant portion of hardearned paychecks. For too many, the math doesn’t add up — quality care is either unaffordable or simply unavailable. This isn’t just a personal struggle; it’s a crisis that weakens our economy and threatens the stability of working families across North Carolina.

The current child care system is failing. Many parents are forced to leave the workforce because the cost of care outweighs their income. This isn’t sustainable. As Congress debates the One Big Beautiful Bill, I urge Senator Thom Tillis to champion North Carolina families by ensuring the expanded Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) is included in the final legislation. During my time in the North Carolina Senate, I served alongside Senator Tillis and saw his commitment to policies that strengthen our state’s economy. We both recognized that access to affordable, reliable child care is a cornerstone of economic growth. When parents can work without worrying about their children’s care, businesses benefit from a stable, productive workforce.

Child care isn’t just a family issue—it’s an economic imperative. Senator Tillis has already shown leadership by co-sponsoring Senator Katie Britt’s bill to expand the CDCTC. Now, he has a critical opportunity to ensure this expansion is part of the Senate’s final tax package. The current CDCTC, unchanged for over 20 years, is woefully outdated. When it was set, the average cost of child care was about $3,000 annually. Today, it’s often triple that. An expanded CDCTC could deliver real relief—putting up to $900 more in the pockets of a family with two young children earning $150,000 or less.

For nearly 4 million families nationwide, this credit would be a lifeline.Across North Carolina, parents are sounding the alarm: child care is too scarce and too expensive. The CDCTC is the only federal tax provision specifically designed to help working parents afford care, yet its current limits fall far short of today’s realities. Expanding it would empower parents to stay in the workforce, help employers retain talent, and lay the foundation for long-term economic stability.

North Carolina families need practical, family-centered solutions. The expanded CDCTC delivers exactly that. It’s a policy that respects the realities of working parents, supports their aspirations, and invests in our state’s future. I’m grateful for Senator Tillis’s leadership on this issue, and I join countless North Carolina parents in urging him to keep fighting. By securing the expanded CDCTC in the final tax package, he can make a lasting difference for families and our economy.

Let’s give parents the support they need to thrive — not just survive.

Former State Senator Thom Goolsby, Wilmington, NC

The current child care system is failing. Many parents are forced to leave the workforce because the cost of care outweighs their income. This isn’t sustainable. As Congress debates the One Big Beautiful Bill, I urge Senator Thom Tillis to champion North Carolina families by ensuring the expanded Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) is included in the final legislation. During my time in the North Carolina Senate, I served alongside Senator Tillis and saw his commitment to policies that strengthen our state’s economy. We both recognized that access to affordable, reliable child care is a cornerstone of economic growth. When parents can work without worrying about their children’s care, businesses benefit from a stable, productive workforce.

Child care isn’t just a family issue—it’s an economic imperative. Senator Tillis has already shown leadership by co-sponsoring Senator Katie Britt’s bill to expand the CDCTC. Now, he has a critical opportunity to ensure this expansion is part of the Senate’s final tax package. The current CDCTC, unchanged for over 20 years, is woefully outdated. When it was set, the average cost of child care was about $3,000 annually. Today, it’s often triple that. An expanded CDCTC could deliver real relief—putting up to $900 more in the pockets of a family with two young children earning $150,000 or less.

For nearly 4 million families nationwide, this credit would be a lifeline.Across North Carolina, parents are sounding the alarm: child care is too scarce and too expensive. The CDCTC is the only federal tax provision specifically designed to help working parents afford care, yet its current limits fall far short of today’s realities. Expanding it would empower parents to stay in the workforce, help employers retain talent, and lay the foundation for long-term economic stability.

North Carolina families need practical, family-centered solutions. The expanded CDCTC delivers exactly that. It’s a policy that respects the realities of working parents, supports their aspirations, and invests in our state’s future. I’m grateful for Senator Tillis’s leadership on this issue, and I join countless North Carolina parents in urging him to keep fighting. By securing the expanded CDCTC in the final tax package, he can make a lasting difference for families and our economy.

Let’s give parents the support they need to thrive — not just survive.

Former State Senator Thom Goolsby, Wilmington, NC