Child care costs, student loans squeeze families ahead of midterms

Childcare bills and student loan repayments are adding to the pressure on US household budgets ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The cost of care can affect whether a parent can afford to work, while loan payments reduce the money borrowers have for other expenses. In a July poll, 38% of parents who pay for childcare named it among their two biggest cost concerns, behind housing and groceries. A separate series of polls published in October found that 82% of voters nationally regarded childcare costs as part of the wider affordability problem.

The pressures have different causes and possible remedies. Childcare policy concerns both the price and availability of places; student loan policy concerns repayment terms and the cost of borrowing for education. New federal repayment plans became available in July 2026, but their effect on individual borrowers depends on their circumstances. As candidates debate the cost of living, the evidence suggests families are judging affordability by recurring bills as well as prices in shops. The polls show concern about childcare, though they do not establish how people will vote.