Boynton Beach Democratic Senator Lori Berman waited to run for public office until her children were in high school. Now she says she has some regrets. So, Berman has filed a bill she hopes will encourage young parents to run -- by helping to cover their childcare costs.
Under the bill, candidates with young children could use their campaign funds to pay for child care, but only for campaign events such as canvassing, participating in debates, and meeting with constituents or donors.
According to the Vote Mama Foundation, 38 states and Washington, D.C. already have similar policies in place. However, the foundation says, just 6.8 percent of federal legislators and 5.3 percent of state legislators are mothers with minor children.
Berman would like to see that change.
“We especially want to encourage young women to run, and we know that women are often the primary child-care givers, and that that’s a reason why they might not consider running for public office, because of the expense of childcare," she said. "This way, by having the expenses paid for by your campaign, it takes the pressure off on that issue. And hopefully, we’ll see more young parents running for office.”
Berman’s proposal requires candidates to provide clear records and receipts, maintaining them for three years after the campaign.
