Early Years Matter

The unemployment rate for military spouses hovers around 22%, four times higher than the national average. Families may have limited support systems nearby, and child care is in short supply—there are approximately 7,800 children on waitlists for on-base child care alone. 

Early childhood education is often overlooked in conversations about AI. We want to change that. With Boys Town’s help, we are building new ways for teachers to practice and strengthen their skills. 

Early educators have long been shut out of the existing Educator Expense Deduction (EED), which allows K-12 teachers to deduct up to $300 in classroom supplies. But a new bipartisan bill introduced last fall, and recently passed in the House of Representatives, seeks to change this.

Child care and economics are deeply intertwined. Whether parents can access—and afford—child care can impact their household income and lifelong earnings, not to mention local employers and the overall labor market.