And not every center that’s actually open right now is one that parents feel comfortable putting their kids in, Rep. Donald Norcross notes. “People who are not living it presently don’t really have a gut-level feeling of what it’s like to not have a place to put your child that’s affordable, that is reliable, that is safe, nurturing. Your child is everything and that has to work in order for our economy to work,” he said.

The congressman experienced this struggle firsthand as a young, single father, raising his son on minimum wage while working as a construction apprentice. It was a Herculean task to find a decent childcare center that opened by 6:30 a.m. “When they unlocked that door, my son was waiting,” he said. “Because if that door doesn’t open, I don’t get any work. It was that simple.”