More Republicans back spending on child care, saying it's an economic issue

More Republican lawmakers in states around the U.S. are getting behind the idea of using taxpayer money to subsidize child care. The pandemic became a turning point by underscoring how precarious the industry is and how many working parents rely on it. As federal pandemic aid dries up, Republican state lawmakers are embracing plans to support child care as a workforce issue — and even making it central to their policy agendas. Child care advocates say the investments are not enough and called on Congress to authorize a new round of money to keep the child care industry afloat.