Poll: More parents are scaling back work for kids

WASHINGTON — A new Washington Post poll has shed light on the challenges some parents face in raising their children and pursuing their careers.

More than three-quarters of mothers and half of fathers in the nation have passed on work opportunities, switched jobs or left the workforce to take care of their kids, the Post reported.

That’s due in part to the cost of dependable child care. Seventy-four percent of parents find child care very expensive, the data show.

Conversely, 53 percent of parents find it difficult to secure quality child care, while 32 percent find it easy to do so.

The issue is likely to arise in the 2016 presidential election. On Thursday, 17 Republican candidates held their first debate on Fox News.

However, 43 percent of those surveyed in the poll trust Democrats to do a better job making quality childcare available; just 22 percent of parents trust Republicans to do the job.

Forty-four percent of parents think Democrats do a better job of making sure mothers are treated fairly at work. Only 22 percent side with Republicans on that issue.

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