RIDGEWOOD, N.J. (PIX11) - A small break – a tax break, that is – could go a long way for Meaghan Donnelly.
"No one seems to talk about the increased cost of food and being able to provide that since the pandemic," said Donnelly, of Maywood, New Jersey.
Donnelly is a young mother to two kids, one of whom goes to preschool at the Ridgewood YMCA.
In the case of Sherry Danna, if it wasn't for the Ridgewood YMCA's scholarship offering, she says she probably wouldn't be able to afford to send her child to preschool.
"There's a lot of hidden costs you don't even consider when trying to raise a child," said Danna. "Even if you're one parent, two parents working, it's a lot of money."
"How can you afford to actually work if you're spending half your salary on child care?" said U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, who on Tax Day urged the Senate to vote on a bill that would expand child tax credits.
"Jersey was ranked the second most expensive state in the country for child care last year, an average of $442 a week," said Gottheimer. "That's up 32% since 2019."
The $79 billion bill passed through the House in a strong bipartisan vote but has since stalled. If it were to become law, it would increase the credit available as a refund to as much as $2,000 for 2025.
There's no time frame for when the Senate will vote on the bill, but Gottheimer's office said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has made it one of his Senate priorities for this year.